The following summaries exemplify my efforts in the pedagogical integration of Wesleyan theology and psychology:

In General Psychology and Honors General Psychology, we frame the introductory survey of psychology as a pilgrimage, rather than as mere tourism. The integration of Wesleyan theology and psychology is apparent in the initial framing of the course structure, as well as in introductory reflections at the beginning of class sessions, in which the psychological topics of the day are presented in light of a Christian virtue (e.g., research methods are introduced in light of humility, attachment theory is introduced in light of compassion, therapeutic orientations are introduced in light of hospitality, and social cognition is introduced in light of courage). In the Honors section of the course, students participate in a semester-long service learning project, in which they engage in practices of justice and mercy throughout the semester; in their final presentation, they reflect on their service learning work in light of the Wesleyan tradition.

In Developmental Psychology Across the Lifespan, students read Tattoos on the Heart, Father Greg Boyle's memoir about his efforts to foster belonging, solidarity, and life transformation among gang members in the Los Angeles area. Throughout the first half of the semester, students are invited to converse about the memoir in small groups and as an entire class on a weekly basis. They then write a midterm reflection/integration paper, applying psychological theories of human development to the cultural context explored in Boyle's memoir. Additionally, in the second half of the semester, students complete a collaborative problem-based learning project in which they apply the cognitive developmental theories of Piaget and Vygotsky to lifespan development within a congregational context. This assignment is challenging, as students are encouraged to think past "the way ministry is always done" in the local church and to imagine how spiritual formation might be pursued if the church were to take seriously the claims and empirical evidence related to these developmental theories. Importantly, the collaborative process of problem-based learning throughout the semester provides opportunities for students to practice responsibility and care for others, which are hallmarks of life in Christian community.

In Learning & Cognition, we read James K.A. Smith's You Are What You Love, which is a distillation of his thesis regarding the centrality of habits to Christian formation. Students write a series of Integration Letters, in which they write as though they were engaging in a dialogue with Smith and behaviorists such as B.F. Skinner, reflecting on the resonance between the evidence of behavioral learning theory and Smith's recommendations for the Christian formation of individuals and congregations. Additionally, as a shared practice which shapes our orientation to learning, we engage in fixed-hour prayer at the beginning of each class session; this fixed-hour prayer reminds us of the larger context of our work and reminds us to receive knowledge as a gift. Additionally, students complete behavioral intervention projects, for which they identify a virtue they would like to cultivate and apply principles of learning and cognition to reinforce habits in line with their chosen virtue.

In Computer-Packaged Statistics, we begin each class session with a thought-provoking quotation from Paul Griffith's Intellectual Appetite, which challenges us to take a studious posture rather than a curious posture toward knowledge. In a course that is often initially perceived as daunting and even threatening, the receptive, grateful posture of the studious learner is a helpful paradigm-shift for students. These initial conversations set the tone for the class session, as we are reminded to receive knowledge humbly as a gift, to seek knowledge as intrinsically valuable rather than merely as a means to an end, and to relate to the other (including classmates and statistical software) not as passive objects to be used but as active agents to be known. These have emerged as key themes from the students' end-of-course evaluations, indicating that the narrative framing of the course shapes the way students conduct statistics and relate with their research projects.

In Psychology of Human Flourishing, students are invited to engage in a variety of historically Christian practices. Through active participation in small group discussions during class, they practice friendship. Through offering testimonies about the role of vice and virtue in their personal histories, they practice truth-telling and fellowship. Through reading The Geography of Bliss and leading their peers in a discussion about cross-cultural manifestations of well-being, they practice humility. Through preparing and presenting a review of the literature on a chosen positive psychology topic, they practice studiousness. Finally, by translating their interdisciplinary knowledge about human virtues and flourishing for the sake of a selected community group, they practice wisdom. Throughout the course, students do not merely study the literature regarding human virtues; they engage in practices that cultivate virtuous ways of being.

In Multicultural Psychology, the chosen course texts encourage an integrative dialogue for the whole semester. At the beginning of the semester, we read David Smith's Learning from the Stranger, which provides a helpful theological framework for understanding the humble, hospitable, and reciprocal work of intercultural learning. At the end of the semester, we read Richard Beck's Stranger God, which thoughtfully interprets psychological research from a Christian paradigm and invites us to respond to cultural differences with small, mindful acts of compassionate love toward the other. These literary "bookends" catalyze integrative discussions throughout the course and frame up the meaning of our semester-long service learning project.

In Techniques of Counseling, we read two texts which provide a foundation for understanding the relational work of therapy from a Judeo-Christian paradigm: The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm and The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen. These texts engage psychological concepts with theological understandings of the self and human relationships. Students discuss the role of love and authenticity in therapeutic interactions, as informed by a Wesleyan perspective. Additionally, students engage in an assignment called "relational week," during which they are challenged to humble themselves and to approach others with studiousness, hospitality, and compassion. They then write a paper, reflecting upon their experiences practicing an open and receptive stance, which is central both to Christian disciples and professional counselors. Students are encouraged throughout the semester to interpret the practices and habits of professional counselors in light of Christian virtue formation.

In Principles of Counseling, students engage in Christian practices in close community with group members; as a way to promote an orientation to the course that seeks the good of the other, some of the assignments are graded based on the average score of all four group members. Groups are encouraged to study together, to help when peers are struggling, to reach out when peers can help, and to work through challenges together; these practices mirror the practices modeled by Christ and the early church. Additionally, students read a section from Susan Howatch's novel Glittering Images, which illustrates the therapeutic process as it plays out in spiritual direction; students reflect upon the resonance between approaches to counseling and spiritual direction. At the conclusion of the semester, students write a final paper, in which they explore their personal theory of psychotherapy and reflect on the assumptions and practices of this chosen theory in light of the Christian tradition.

In Cross-Cultural Psychology in Costa Rica, students engage in a series of daily mindfulness exercises, which challenge them to reflect upon their histories, inclinations, attitudes, and behaviors in order to gain insight about their ways of relating to themselves, others, and the world. Additionally, the daily mindfulness prompts direct the students' attention to pursuing worthwhile ways of engaging with an unfamiliar context. Thus, students are encouraged to attend to who they are being and becoming while in a cross-cultural context, rather than approaching their experiences as an objective, distant, and critical observer. Additionally, students are invited to approach the trip with the interests of others in mind, and they engage in a variety of collaborative activities and assignments which provide opportunities for loving responsiveness. Meaning for each of these practices is derived from a Christian narrative framework.

In Lifespan Development, a graduate-level course for students who are training to become professional counselors, we begin each session with a reflection on a segment of Isaiah 61. As this is the excerpt Jesus read in the synagogue toward the beginning of his recorded adult ministry, it represents his intentional acts of mercy and justice, which he pursued until his death and then called his disciples to continue upon his resurrection. Students are invited to respond to the passage, reflect upon their own ideological and faith traditions, and discuss the practices, habits, and virtues that characterize the work of professional counselors. These discussions set the tone for the class session and frame up our work together within a meaningful narrative.

As I endeavor to make meaning across disciplines and to place psychological knowledge within broader contexts, I must grapple with the cultural embeddedness of psychological knowledge and practice. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in Life Together:

"What determines our brotherhood is what that man is by reason of Christ. Our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us. This is true not merely at the beginning, as though in the course of time something else were to be added to our community; it remains so for all the future and to all eternity...In Christian brotherhood everything depends upon its being clear right from the beginning, first, that Christian brotherhood is not an ideal, but a divine reality. Second, that Christian brotherhood is a spiritual and not a psychic reality" (p. 25-26).

I am united with others, across all the demographic and cultural differences which might otherwise estrange us (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, language, systems of belief, religion, cultural practices) through the reconciling and redeeming work of Christ. I am not unified with the body of Christ through my own desire, righteousness, and strength; our brotherhood and sisterhood has already been established as a spiritual reality. Therefore, it is my responsibility to participate as an agent of God's reconciliation in the world here and now. I am called to engage in lament when faced with evil in the world, to express gratitude and hope as I remember the redemptive story of God, and to seek justice and mercy in the present age.

The theme of intercultural responsiveness is one I weave throughout class discussions, readings, and assignments. Some courses are especially conducive for practicing intercultural knowledge-seeking and intercultural engagement, such as Honors General Psychology, Psychology of Human Flourishing, Multicultural Psychology, Cross-Cultural Psychology in Costa Rica, and Lifespan Development.