野花社区

鈥淎ll theology should be clinical theology.鈥� That is the phrase Dallas Willard spoke at a conference back in the early 1990s. And it is the phrase that is inspiring the creation of the clinical theology section of Conversatio Divina.

Dr. Preston Hill published an essay, 鈥淭herapeutic Theology: Doctrines that Catalyze Human Flourishing,鈥� making a compelling case that, ultimately, 鈥渢heology should actively be shaped by lived experience and aimed at experiences of flourishing in sacred friendship.鈥� And he makes the bold claim that Jesus was the first therapeutic theologian.

In another essay, 鈥淭wo Sides of Psychology鈥檚 Normal Curve: Love and Fear,鈥� Dr. Gary Moon takes inspiration from Bono鈥檚 autobiography, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, and the poet Michael Leunig, to suggest that the primary two human states are love and fear. He then discusses some of the implications of these two 鈥渘otes鈥濃�攕o divergent that they cannot be played at the same time鈥攖o human flourishing.

Presentations

And They Wrote a Devotion Instead: Enhancing Experiential Integration in Counselor Education and Group Supervision
Dr. Amanda Blackburn, Dr. Stanley Hoover, Dr. Mary Plisco, and Hope Tuttle

Deconstructed Lectio Divina: An Intervention to Increase Spiritual Meaning-Making Among Religious Dones
Dr. Preston Hill

Illuminating the Path: Integrating Spiritual and Religious Competencies in Clinical Training
Dr. Kathleen Bazile, Dr. Amanda Blackburn, & Dr. DeVon Mills.

Perspectives Regarding Motivations for Adoption by Ethnic Minority Christian Adoptive Parents
Grace Rapp, Mentored by Dr. Mary Plisco

Religious/Spiritual Abuse and Trauma: Areas of Consideration for Future Research, Therapeutic Assessment, and聽Program Evaluation
Abigail Guadnola, Mentored by Dr. Mary Plisco

野花社区鈥檚 Dr. Stanley Hoover and Liberty University鈥檚 Dr. Jama Davis coauthored a chapter in the newly published textbook Christian Integration in Counselor Education. Hoover & Davis鈥檚 chapter focuses on Christian integration in helping relationships. The textbook is comprised of the perspectives of 55 contributing authors committed to the integration of faith in the counseling profession and is designed to be utilized in faith-based CACREP-accredited counseling programs.

Learn more about the textbook .

野花社区 has achieved another remarkable record enrollment this Spring of three hundred and sixty-nine students.

As students and faculty began the 2024 Spring semester, 野花社区 welcomed its largest number of students engaged in courses at both Atlanta and Chattanooga campuses, a thriving online campus, and a newly established doctoral cohort.

At a time when many graduate institutions have struggled to maintain sustainable enrollment numbers, 野花社区鈥檚 semester-to-semester retention rates are at 96%. Roxie Shellabarger, Vice President of Administration, attributes this to 鈥渢he incredible investment of 野花社区 staff and faculty into students, as well as 野花社区鈥檚 emphasis on community and self-care.鈥�

鈥淥nly God could write a story so touching as this鈥� 鈥� Courtney Force, author of Soul Dancer

On January 22, 野花社区 hosted a gathering honoring President Timothy Quinnan鈥檚 new book, Call Me Jonah. The event included active audience participation during a Q&A group discussion, readings by attendees of favorite passages, and closed with a book signing of the fastest-selling debut novel in his publisher鈥檚 history. The sizable turnout included many 野花社区 faculty, staff, and current and former students.

When asked, Dr. Quinnan said that his goal with Call Me Jonah was to write a story that anyone could be uplifted by, regardless of age, personal faith, or worldview. Evidence of success in this aim was reflected in the diverse crowd that gathered to discuss what the book meant to them and how they felt a resonance with its themes. In addition to the title鈥檚 main spiritual and psychological themes, its overarching message is that 鈥渓ove is eternal and transcends everything in the universe, even our notions of time and space, reality, and life and death.鈥�

For those who missed this event, a highlights video is posted below. Call Me Jonah is available for purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Ozark Mountain Publishing.

野花社区 recently launched the Spiritual First Responders Project, a major research initiative initially funded by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation. This project advances mental health interventions for spiritual thriving and well-being among those who are experiencing mental distress, including those experiencing spiritual struggles, church hurt, and faith deconstruction. The Eudokias Foundation recognizes the urgency of this spiritual public health need and is generously partnering to provide financial support for this research initiative.

The Eudokias Foundation (eudokias.org) takes its name from Luke 2:14, which references both the glory and grace of God, with peace being available to people who genuinely receive that grace at an identity level. The mission and philosophy of Eudokias include fostering spiritual growth and mental well-being in the spiritual lives of individuals and communities by opening access to meaningful encounters with the Holy Spirit to empower people to have heartfelt confidence in being God’s beloved little children.

This generous in-kind support highlights the importance of 野花社区’s Spiritual First Responders Project which is being recognized by philanthropies like Templeton and Eudokias.

The Evangelical Purity Culture Movement (PCM) is a social movement focused on eliminating premarital sexual behavior聽which began in the 1990s and still continues today. This presentation will focus on the efficacy of the PCM as well as the long-term emotional, psychological, and sexual implications for women who came of age in the PCM. It will also address clinical implications for counselors and therapists working with this population, as well as suggestions for healthier alternatives to sexuality education for today鈥檚 youth.

Among those who leave religion, there are some who persist with spiritual desires for meaning and transcendent connection. Many of these 鈥渟piritually practicing鈥� religious 鈥渄ones鈥� experience unique mental health challenges likely related to the religious trauma and social adversity they cite as top reasons for disaffiliating from religion. In this talk, I鈥檒l discuss the challenges and possibilities for 鈥渞emixed鈥� spiritual experience among this population by setting faith deconstruction and reconstruction in a theological context and drawing implications for mental health care among this group.

Dr. Emily Oliver will be presenting on the Evangelical Purity Culture Movement and Mental Health Treatment Considerations.

Dr. Preston Hill will be presenting on Meaning and Mental Health with Religious 鈥淒ones鈥�.

Click to learn more about this continuing education event and purchase your ticket.

January 19, 2024
6:45 鈥� 9:00 PM
(Virtual Gathering on Zoom)

2 hours CE credit

Until recently, social sciences only studied different religious identities (Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, etc) and identifying as none of these meant being labelled a religious 鈥渘one.鈥� However, recent studies in psychology have discovered a new group of people called the religious 鈥渄ones.鈥� Unlike some 鈥渘ones鈥� who have never been religious, this new group contains people who were religious at one point but have now deidentified from religion.

But, religious 鈥渄ones鈥� aren鈥檛 always completely 鈥渄one.鈥� Sometimes they may not have totally deidentified but would describe themselves as 鈥渄econstructing.鈥� Studies also show that the spiritually-seeking religious 鈥渄ones鈥� have the highest rates of depression, anxiety, and mental health needs.

Our project is devoted to providing access to mental health care and spiritual meaning making for spiritually seeking religious 鈥渄ones.鈥�

Learn more at

野花社区’s Office of Christian Integration is partnering with The Ken Matheny Center for the Study of Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (MSTAR) at Georgia State University to host two upcoming presentations both focusing on the theme of Mental Health & Faith Deconstruction. These presentations will take place at noon on Monday, October 23, in Room CEHD 1030 on the Georgia State campus.

Presentation 1 will be delivered by Daryl Van Tongeren from Hope College. It is entitled, “Religious Dones: The Science of Religious Deidentification.”

Presentation 2 will be delivered by Preston Hill from 野花社区. It is entitled, “Posttraumatic Spiritual Yearning: Religious Dones in Theological Context.”

The event is free but requires registration at this link: