Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

  Evolving 2023 Geoffrey W. Sutton & Bing AI Evolution, Psychology, and Christianity Irreconcilable Differences Barriers and Bridges The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was published 24 November 1859. Scientists have built on the solid foundation laid by Charles Darwin 165 years ago. New discoveries have refined the theory and expanded our understanding of the evolution of life. For example, we know a lot more about genetics than scientists did in the 1800s. As is commonly known, Christian leaders have denounced evolution and fought the teaching of evolution in American public schools for more than a century. Clearly, the evolutionary explanation of the origins of life, including human beings, is not compatible with traditional Christian teaching about the creation. Evolution explains the diversity of life through such processes as natural selection, mutation, and genetic drift. All species evolve and those that survive to reproduce pass along their gen...

Wheaton Chapel Christian Colleges - know before you go Wheaton College was in the news because statements by a professor were questioned. The communication became public. Since then I've heard that professors are being cautious or have been cautioned about what they may say. Conservative Christian colleges declare their beliefs and values. Freedom of speech is restricted as is the freedom to pursue some lines of research. That's why I say, "know before you go." Know what you are committing to as a student, faculty member, or staff member; however, my focus here is on students. And for traditional students who share decisions with parents--this post is for parents too. Seven Facts About Conservative Christian Campus Cultures 1. The Statement of Faith is taken seriously. Read the statement of faith and decide if you believe the words. Life's too short to put on an act. If possible, it's obviously best to learn or work at...

Testimonies used to be popular in conservative Christian churches several decades ago. People stood and retold the story of their conversion from sin to faith. Pentecostals told stories of healing. Some told of their conversion from a different faith to their current Christian faith. Stories of deconversion often involve conversion and follow a familiar narrative consisting of a person's struggle with their old faith, doubt and possible loss of faith, grief over the loss of faith and a faith family, and for some, joy at their new found faith. Deconversion is the term behavioral scientists use when studying how a person's conversion story unravels. That is, the process of leaving a faith group.  Some leave their faith and become a none —a person of no faith, or no particular faith. Others leave one faith for another faith. (Read more about deconversion, 2017 .) Rachel Held Evans has a deconversion-conversion story. She’s the girl from monkey town whose testimony re...

Years ago, at a Christian college, I took a course in Christian Philosophy . I don’t remember much from the textbook but I do recall the title of another book, Why I Am Not a Christian by Bertrand Russell. Looking back, I wondered why the professor chose such a text for a course in a highly conservative college. Was he trying to prepare us to challenge the author? Was he struggling with his own faith? Spiritual Struggle / Bing Free to use/share Arguably, the leading atheist of recent decades is the biologist Richard Dawkins . Following the 911 attacks on America, Dawkins and his atheist friends published several challenges to religion. A best seller, The God Delusion , caught my attention. After all, as a psychologist, I know something about delusions. And as one who studies and writes about the psychology of religion, I wondered what might be new in this arena—new since Russell, that is. Five Things Christians Can Learn From Atheists I’ve written an academic ...