Also a Pastoral Theologian: In Pursuit of Dynamic Theology (Or: Meditations from a Recalcitrant Heart)

This essay evolved out of my effort to situate my work from the last quarter-century for an introduction to a collection of previously published essays. After tracing divergent uses of the terms pastoral and practical theology in figures such as Seward Hiltner, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Don Browning, I turn to the task of differentiating the two disciplines. Although pursuit of dynamic theology lies at the heart of both, I argue that their sloppy conflation is problematic. Whereas practical theology is integrative, pastoral theology is person-and pathos-centered. I situate my work in pastoral theology within practical theology because of the latter’s commitment to wider curricular and ministerial concerns. But I remain a pastoral theologian at heart, appreciative of its appropriation of psychology as a key means to comprehend what matters most to persons. Commitment to a theology of experience has led the discipline to the inadvertent creation of alternative theological loci of angst and flourishing.     

Addressing Gender and Cultural Diversity in Body Image: Objectification Theory as a Framework for Integrating Theories and Grounding Research

This article discusses the promise of objectification theory as a framework for consolidating extant theories, integrating findings across the studies in the current issue, and grounding future research on body image and eating problems across diverse populations. Specifically, this article (a) provides an overview of objectification theory and describes its promise for addressing gender and cultural diversity, (b) articulates aspects of overlap and distinction between objectification theory and several other influential frameworks, (c) describes the advancements made by the research presented in this issue relative to the 15 recommendations offered in Moradi and Huang’s (2008) review of the past decade of objectification theory research, and (d) concludes with suggestions for further advancements in body image research grounded in objectification theory.     

Visual perception,observation systems,and empiricism

Released time for this project was subsidized by the Affirmative Action Development Program, Spring 1987, CSUN. Special thanks to Professors Frank McGuinness, Jack Bender, and Dan Sedey for comments.     

The Permeability of Causal Criteria of Identity for Universals

To analyze the concept of a human merely in terms of the concept of a primate is to let all kinds of monkeys and apes into a category reserved for humans. Criteria of identity for universal attributes formulated merely in terms of causal roles associated with universals involve a similar permeability, since they cannot distinguish universals from non-universal attributes. Without appealing to the existence of noncausal universals or resorting to charges of circularity, I will show that causal criteria of identity for universals are insufficiently informative because they cannot capture a distinctive feature of universals.     

The Use of Personal Construct Theory and the Repertory Grid in the Development of Case Reports of Children's Science Learning

This article presents the assumptions and methodology used in a study of children learning science in a fifth-grade classroom. Case report results are presented that illustrate both the approach and findings of the research. The implications of a constructivist view of learning are discussed. A practical teaching aid that employs this view and enables teachers to effectively summarize and integrate student ideas in the teaching/learning dialogue is suggested.     

An abbreviated tool for assessing feminine norm conformity: psychometric properties of the Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory-45

The Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory-45 (CFNI-45; Parent & Moradi, 2010) is an important tool for assessing level of conformity to feminine gender norms and for investigating the implications of such norms for women's functioning. The authors of the present study assessed the factor structure, measurement invariance, reliability, and validity of the CFNI-45 with data from 520 college women (55% White). Confirmatory factor analyses with data from this sample suggested acceptable fit for the posited 9-factor structure. Furthermore, analyses of measurement invariance indicated similar structural properties with members of socioculturally dominant (i.e., White) and nondominant (i.e., women of color) racial/ethnic status groups. Also, subscales of the CFNI-45 demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability coefficients, and correlations with convergent and discriminant validity indicators supported the validity of subscales scores. Overall, results offered support for the CFNI-45 as a multidimensional measure of women's conformity to feminine norms. The CFNI-45 can be used in research to facilitate evaluation of the theorized roles of conformity to feminine norms in women's mental health, vocational behavior, interpersonal relationships, and other domains. The CFNI-45 can be used in clinical practice to assess and attend to clients' conformity to feminine norms as is called for in the American Psychological Association's (2007) Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Girls and Women.