July 8-20 Juan F. Franck attended the first seminar of the project On Human Natures: Psychological Science in the Service of Theology, based at Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, CA). The project aims to gather specialists in psychology with philosophers and theologians of different countries to discover together new insights concerning human nature. The seminar was also attended by academics from the United States, the UK, Canada and Australia, and its focus was “The Created and Fallen Image of God”.
The sessions were conducted by three distinguished psychology professors: Justin Barrett (project leader), Peter Hill (Biola University) and Mari Clements (Fuller Theological Seminary), and provided tremendously helpful insights into what psychological science -cognitive and social- can contribute to philosophical and theological inquiry. A variety of activities (lectures, micro-lectures, discussion groups, Q&A sessions, panels, etc.) generated an atmosphere of open exchange and comradeship, which facilitated the formation of research teams among the participants around the project themes. Participants also had the possibility of applying for grants in order to pursue both personal and cooperative projects.
A call to participate in the third seminar is now open. The theme this time will be “Restoring Human Nature” and it will take place July 6-18, 2020.