9345 Notes (Developmental Theory)

For the Final Exam: Write up a 10-page self-assessment that describes where you are at developmentally, according to the theories we have considered in the class, particularly the following theories: Erikson’s psychosocial model, the cognitive-developmental approach (cognition, moral reasoning, postformal/covenantal constructivism), the monastic model, 3

Bernard, Newton, Kierkegaard, and Groeschel. Goals: 1) to demonstrate in your self-assessment an understanding of the respective theories; 2) to be honest about one’s competences and limitations and grow in self-awareness. Email to professor on June 30, 2012.

Foundations for Soul Care- Johnson

The goal of this course is that you will think developmental about life. To realize how the glory of God is expressed developmentally in human life.

Post-formal thinking is not “either-or” but rather is “both-and”

Biblical Counseling continuum

All Bible/ no science

Progressive approach to biblical counseling- Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC)- Paul Tripp

Traditional approach to biblical counseling- National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC)-

Retrieving (psych belongs to God)

Christian Psychology + Transformational psychology- Johnson

Christianpsych.org [society for Christian psych]

Integration

Most Christian counseling programs

All science/ no Bible

Levels of explanation- Christians at secular schools [theology has no right to dictate to psychology]

Abraham Kuyper- “We are to claim every square inch of the universe for Christ.”

4 aspects at Christian Worldview

Metanarrative of human nature- Dooyeweerd

Creation
Fall
Redemptive
Salvation

The Bible gives the first principles of life… but he also created a universe in which we can know him.

Think Doxological- the glory of God is the chief end of all things that I do. Glory is the currency of God’s creation. Our soul is being built up by God’s glory while we are here on Earth.

Kabod-God is full of glory because he is full of meaning. All other creation only has a spark of meaning.

Doxa- outshining everything in the world

Think Discursive & Dialogical- Jesus is the message of God, Scripture is the Word of God.

Internalization of Scripture

Mind+ behavior

Heart- religious affections

Life-

Creation is an expression of the Word of God (“Let there be light”)

Human development proceeds through words

Think Canonical- Scripture- the rule of thought and guide that will prevent fallen men from thinking fallen thoughts. (Take every thought captive to the glory of Christ)

Beauty is about the character of God. Without God there is no beauty, where there is beauty there is also God. God is both great and good! (excellence!)

Cornelius Van Til

Man- the antithesis {holy tension} and God- Creation grace

Orders for Discourse (all 4 orders are important, there is hierarchy)

1. Spiritual- gospel

2. Ethical- law of God (where personal agency begins)

3. Psychosocial- this separates us from the animals (intelligence/ language/ emotion/ social networks/ will). We are social & rational beings.

4. Biological- body/ brain

Work on the highest level possible with a person but the lowest level necessary

To think rightly we must avoid pietistic dualism- the sacred is separate from the secular

Humanity in post-formal though

Creation- image of God, stewards, hierarchy, relation to God, harmony, goodness of humanity, perfect structure.

The fall- disharmony w/God, self, others and creation; vestiges of the image of God; abused our stewardship; have exalted ourselves in the hierarchy; good structure but corrupted.

Redemption- in union with Christ; family of God; working toward a new harmony; restored direction but still sinners

Consummation- perfect has come; no more sin & suffering; we have not yet arrived.

Humanity in reference to developmental theory

Creation- still develop biologically develop

Fall- corrupt psychosocial development, fallen development

Redemption- spiritual development, conversion, redemption view of the family

Consummation-

Developmental Theorists

Freud: Psychosexual Theory (erogenous zones)

Eric Erikson: Psychosocial theory (conflict between two conflicting tendencies)

Mentalization

· Objectifying our internal world while it is active

· Modify our emotions

o We can work on our emotions when they are active

Emotions

God is passionate, Jesus is passionate

We are in the image of God

They are a sign system similar to language

· Positive emotions

· Negative emotions

· Can be good or bad while at the same time they are negative or positive

B.B. Warfield The Emotional Life of the Lord

J. Edwards, Religious Affections

The firing of a neuron

Piaget’s Categories

Preoperational thinking Can only think about what they can see. If they can’t see it then it doesn’t exist. (at the language level)

Operational thinking you can think about your perceptions and examine what you see. (concrete reasoning)

Formal Operations can look at one system and evaluate it. Then look at another system and evaluate it. However, they are unable to evaluate another system when they are deeply committed to one system. (abstract reasoning)

Post-formal operations can evaluate multiple systems (including their own system) from a dispassionate point of view. Can see the meta-system that both systems in which both system exist. Able to do justice to the wisdom of each system. Post-formal thinking is being comfortable with the holy tension! (integrate logically coherent systems into a metasystems)

Kohlberg’s Moral Theory

Preconventional morality (individual principles)

Punishment and obedience orientation (don’t do it because you could get caught)
Naïve hedonism (follow the rules to get what you want. Quid-pro-quo)

Conventional morality (communal principles)

Good boy orientation (relationships trump morality)
Social order-maintaining morality (the will of the society is in the law)

Postconventional morality (universal principles)

The social contract orientation (laws are part of a social contract but are not always right)
Morality of individual principles of conscience (universal rights that transcends cultures)

Fowler’s Theory of Faith Reasoning Development

1. Intuitive-Projective

Ages 1-6; preoperational; early preconventional. (Child accepts parental beliefs w/out question.)

2. Mythic-Literal

Age 7-12; concrete operational; late preconventional. Understands and internalizes the faith of parents.(Some awareness of different faiths but tends to hold to family and religious tradition.)

3. Synthetic-Conventional

The dominant stage at ages 13-20 formal operational; conventional. Peers become important to faith. (Adherence to the norm is paramount)

Limitations:

1) Autonomy of judgment jeopardized, just following.

2) Interpersonal betrayal can lead to despair/upset about contradictions.

4. Individual-Reflective

The dominant stage 1st post-formal stage; post-conventional.

(Question the faith assumptions of parents and/or religious tradition.) For many need to doubt, question, and even reject elements of one’s faith tradition is necessary.

5. Conjunctive Faith

Involves putting together different aspects of one’s life, including roots of family faith and church’s tradition, the belief’s of others, tempered by the experience of life. (Helping others outside one’s cultural community.)

6. Universalizing Faith

Only one person in sample. (People who have transcended self- interest and are truly interested in others.) Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Theories of Adult Meaning Development (Cognitive/Moral reasoning/Faith/Wisdom)

Modern Adult Developmental Theories (Self and human reason/science are central ) / Formal Operational Stages / Early Post-Formal Stages / Late Post-Formal Stages

Kohlberg

Moral Reasoning Development / Conventional: Substages 3 and 4
In 3 morality derived from family + friends
In 4 morality derived from culture’s laws and norms / Post-Conventional: 5. Individual rights
Individual recognizes that one’s own community morality is limited. They see morality as relative but necessary for society. So we contract together and come up with a morality as a society but it may be wrong and need to be changed. / 6. Universal Principles
Person is still ultimately a relativist (many paths to this stage) but becomes committed to rational universal values + gives his/her life to those values

Perry

Cognitive and Worldview Development of College Students / 1. Dualism
Students see world as black and white, right and wrong. Simply listen to authority and you’ll learn all you need to know / 2. Relativism
Students recognize all the different world-views and opinions there are and conclude all truth is relative. Whatever a person wants to believe is alright for them. / 3. Commitment within Relativism
Students recognize that some opinions are better than others. There is no absolute truth (still relativists) but a person comes to hold some values, make some commitments in marriage, vocation, and relative values. “I wouldn’t be a homosexual but if somebody wants to live that way that’s their business.”

Fowler

Faith Development / 3. Synthetic-conventional
One is able to reflect on one’s faith but is limited accepting the faith of one’s family and friends. / 4. Individuative-Reflective
Person comes to doubt the absolute nature of the faith they were raised in. Come to decide for themselves what to believe. Could be an atheist, Christian, Buddhist. They’re all types of faith. Relative. / 5. Conjunctive Faith
Deeper ‘faith’ in whatever. Deeper because of live experiences.
6. Universalizing Faith
Leads to commitment to action. e.g. M.L. King.

Christian Theory of Wisdom Development

Relationship with God + his people are central. Scripture is foundational. / 1. Antithesis Dualism
X’n recognizes Christ is the only way.
Knows that sin blinds unbelievers; HS enables Christians to think differently / 2. Creation Grace Understanding/ Denominational Tolerance
Recognizes good in unbelievers, in spite of their sin, as well as in good believers who come from different backgrounds / 3. Kingdom Action in Wise Love
Recognizing sin in world and oneself, and the “good” of unbelievers, believers here seek to advance the kingdom of God with wisdom and Christ’s love