Thriving

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Dr. Pamela King reflects on the importance of contemplative practices as the key to thriving during difficulty.

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Dr. Stephanie Trudeau breaks down the Mamba Mentality framework and offers tips for how to integrate it into our own lives.

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Dr. Pamela King reminds us about the significance of the holidays and orienting our lives to what matters through the holiday craze.

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When used properly, technology can help us thrive. Our research team shares the 9 apps that can boost relationships, beliefs, and purpose.

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Executive director, Pamela King shares the 3 dimensions of religion and spirituality that promote positive youth development.

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Citation Schnitker, S. A., King, P. E., & Houltberg, B. (2019). Religion, Spirituality, and Thriving: Transcendent Narrative, Virtue, and Lived Purpose. In Hardy, S. & King, P. E. (eds.). Special section: Processes of religious and spiritual influence in adolescence, Journal of Research on Adolescence, 29(2), 276-290. Abstract A theory is proposed to explain how religion/spirituality (R/S) is related to positive youth development and thriving. The concept of telos is employed to define thriving as continued growth through strength-based living that leads to contributing to one’s communities and living out one’s ethical ideals. Virtue development is proposed as a primary process...

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Summary Developmental psychologist, Benjamin Houltberg traces the intersections of research and ministry in his work, as well as his desire to integrate his research with understanding people’s pain and representing God’s love with them. He was interviewed by Evelyn and Frank Freed Professor of Marital and Family Therapy at Fuller Theological Seminary, Terry Hargrave. Author’s Note This presentation was originally published on FULLER Studio. About the Author Benjamin Houltberg was the former associate professor of human development at the Thrive Center. As a developmental scientist, his research centers on relational factors that impact emotional health within high-stress environments. Much of his work...

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Benjamin Houltberg discusses the impact performance and success have on emotional wellbeing on the I Love Success Podcast.

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Citation Tirrell, J. M., Geldhof, G. J., King, P. E., Dowling, E., Sim, A., Williams, K., Iraheta, G., Lerner, J. V., & Lerner, R. M. (2018). Measuring spirituality, hope, and thriving among Salvadoran youth: Initial findings from the Compassion International Study of Positive Youth Development. Child & Youth Care Forum, 48(2), 241-268. Abstract Background The more than one billion children living in poverty worldwide are often marginalized from the resources needed for health and well-being, a situation that may create feelings of hopelessness and diminish chances for thriving. Compassion International (CI), a faith-based child-sponsorship organization committed to alleviating child poverty...

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Benjamin Houltberg defines thriving, sharing the key ways anyone can live a flourishing and purposeful life on the Converge Podcast.

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Citation King, P. E., Barrett, J. L., Greenway, T. S., Schnitker, S. A., & Furrow, J. L. (2018). Mind the gap: Evolutionary psychological perspectives on human thriving. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(4), 336-345. Abstract The amount of psychological literature focusing on human thriving and flourishing has grown in recent years, but this topic is currently subject to much conceptual ambiguity. Evolutionary psychology, though often not included in discussions on optimal human development, provides a framework that benefits considerations of human thriving. Humans exhibit a high degree of niche construction by which they alter their environment, in turn affecting their...

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Citation King, P. E. (2016). The reciprocating self: Trinitarian and Christological anthropologies of being and becoming. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 35(3), 215-232. Abstract This paper summarizes a Christological and trinitarian anthropology in order to propose a developmental teleology that offers a vision for being and becoming human. From a Christological perspective, Jesus Christ is the perfect image of God, and becoming like Christ as distinct persons is God’s intention for all of humanity. How humans are conformed to Christ occurs through and results in mutual, reciprocal relations with God, humans, and creation. Drawing on Christology and the doctrine of...