Mark R. McMinn - The Science of Virtue: Why Positive Psychology Matters to the Church

I have been married for thirty-eight years to Lisa, a sociologist, author, and lovely human being. We consider each other to be our first readers, which means we see those drafts that are not yet ready for anyone else to read and recommend ways to make them better. Once again, Lisa was my first reader for every chapter in this book. She graciously pointed out the best parts and the worst, and helped me find my way forward where my ideas and words were confusing or unclear.

As will be evident in almost every chapter, I am grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for funding a three-year grant that allowed my colleagues, students, and me to study positive psychology and the church. Dr. Nicholas Gibson, the program officer at Templeton who directed this grant, was particularly helpful in reviewing the grant proposal and providing feedback along the way. My colleagues Dr. Rodger Bufford and Dr. MaryKate Morse were collaborators on the grant. Dr. Ward Davis at Wheaton College supervised one of the grant projects. Thanks also to George Fox University and Wheaton College doctoral students who worked on the projects funded by the grant: Andrew Cuthbert, Laura Geczy-Haskins, Paul McLaughlin, Jeff Moody, and Jens Uhder.

I work in a remarkably healthy psychology department, made so in no small part by our department chairperson, Dr. Mary Peterson. My faculty colleagues and doctoral students help me think better than I would without them, and I am thankful for their ongoing role in my professional and spiritual development. Heidi Cuddeford, one of our departments administrative assistants, went well beyond the call of duty to help make the Templeton grant projects successful. Adriana Rangel-Ponce served as an undergraduate assistant who helped with reference citations for the early versions of the manuscript.

The church where I worship each week, Newberg Friends Church, has been part of this project in various ways. Pastors Gregg Koskela and Steve Fawver influenced the curriculum we developed for a wisdom-mentoring program, and the church elders and administrative staff welcomed us to partner with them in running the program. Tamera Brand, Denise and Kevin Brooks, Marcile Crandall, Elaine and Gregg Koskela, Carol and David Sherwood, and Elizabeth and Steve Sherwood all served as capable mentors in the wisdom-mentoring program. Natalie Koskela and Megan Anna Neff both contributed in important ways to the wisdom project as wellin Natalies case by conducting interviews with wisdom participants and in Megan Annas case by providing theological insight as we developed the curriculum. The Children of the Light Sunday school class allowed me to teach on each of the chapters in this book and offered helpful feedback along the way.

I also appreciate the pastors and other churches that partnered with us on various projects, including Pastors Jeff Getsinger, Lynn Holt, Jed Maclaurin, Bill Moorman, Rich Miller, Ken Redford, and Andrew Yarborough. Dr. Rebecca Ankeny, former superintendent of the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, was particularly helpful as we established working relationships with churches and pastors.

Finally, I am thankful for the highly professional editorial and design team at Brazos Press. They believed in this idea and helped me craft the manuscript into what it has become.