Psychology of Flourishing

Catalog description

Taught by GTU. EXPLORING SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN COMMUNITY Informed by the fields of positive psychology and Christian spiritual formation, this course will examine the possibility of cultivating our lives of faith and community in a culture that pushes us to live shallowly and relate to other people superficially. We will look at recent writing on flourishing (including Susan Phillips's "The Cultivated Life: From Ceaseless Striving to Receiving Joy") and moral community (including Jonathan Haidt's "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion"). Practices of personal and communal development will be taught in an environment of mutual interest and respect for individual differences. We anticipate a lively and diverse mix of class participants, and the class is open to all. Evaluation will be based on a self-analysis paper (3000-4000 words) of one's spiritual and moral foundations and practices, integrating texts, classroom discussions, and more. Course will meet on two Saturdays.