NATURE AS THE IMAGE OF GOD: REFLECTIONS ON THE SIGNS OF THE SACRED

Abstract. This is a brief survey of aspects of the modern scientific view of nature to see if implied therein are signs or traces of the sacred–as early religious apprehension surely supposed. Nature's power and order are discussed as is the strange dialectic of death and life, evident in modern biology as it also is in all early religion.     

A Christian Rationale for Vegetarianism

Abstract :  This article lays out an argument for vegetarianism based on a Christian theological rationale, specifically on a new articulation of a Christian anthropology for the 21^st century. What I suggest is that an exploration of what it means to be human in a contemporary first world context leads to the conclusion that vegetarianism is a logical expression of one's understanding of oneself as a Christian, and one's exercise of one's Christian faith and discipleship.     

Genetic Counselors' Experiences with Paternal Involvement in Prenatal Genetic Counseling Sessions: An Exploratory Investigation

Limited research exists concerning male partners' participation in prenatal genetic counseling (R. Kenen, A. C. M. Smith, C. Watkins, & C. Zuber-Pitore, J. Genet Corns 9, 33–45, 2000). To further understand paternal participation, we interviewed 17 experienced prenatal genetic counselors to assess their perspectives on this issue. We investigated 6 research questions: 1) How do genetic counselors define paternal involvement, 2) how do they determine and address problematic involvement, 3) what factors influence involvement, 4) was paternal involvement addressed in training, 5) how might training be improved, and 6) how do participant strategies for addressing involvement compare to those of marriage/family therapists? Qualitative analysis revealed that 1) participants regard paternal involvement asimportant; 2) most address problematic involvement with strategies similar to those of marital/family therapists; 3) influential factors include male partner's characteristics, the couple's relationship (including culturalpractices), and pregnancy factors; and 4) participants received little or notraining on paternal involvement and recommended didactic and experientialactivities. Implications and research recommendations are presented.     

IMAGO DEI AND HUMAN RATIONALITY

There is a pervasive trend in Western theology to identify imago Dei with human intellectual and cognitive capacities. However, several contemporary theologians have criticized this view because, according to the critics, it leads to a truncated view of humanity. In this article, I shall concentrate on the question of rationality, first, through theologies of Thomas Aquinas and contemporary Lutheran Robert Jenson, and second, in some branches of recent cognitive psychology. I will argue that there is a significant overlap between contemporary scientific interpretations of rationality and both a traditional Thomistic view and a contemporary ecumenical interpretation of imago Dei. Consequently, it is possible to give an account of imago Dei which takes structural features as central and which is in accord with contemporary science, without falling prey to the dangers that the critics of structuralism point out.     

父亲、母亲抚养压力在母亲抑郁和学龄前儿童内外部问题行为间的链式中介作用

研究旨在探讨父亲和母亲的抚养压力在母亲抑郁与学龄前儿童内、外部问题行为间的作用。以北京市某区75所幼儿园的2222名3~5岁在园幼儿及其父母为被试,采用《流调中心抑郁量表》、《抚养压力量表》、《学龄前儿童问题行为问卷》分别对母亲抑郁、父母抚养压力及儿童问题行为进行测查,结果发现：（1）母亲抑郁可以正向预测儿童的内、外部问题行为;（2）母亲抑郁对儿童内部问题行为的作用被\"母亲抚养压力\"、\"母亲抚养压力-父亲抚养压力\"两条路径部分中介;（3）母亲抑郁对儿童外部问题行为的作用被\"母亲抚养压力\"、\"母亲抚养压力-父亲抚养压力\"两条路径完全中介。综上,研究揭示了母亲抚养压力、父亲抚养压力在母亲抑郁和学龄前儿童内、外部问题行为间的链式中介作用。     

青少年心理行为问题与专业心理求助态度：父母知晓的中介作用

摘 要 对831名中学生施测青少年自评量表、父母知晓量表、专业心理求助态度问卷,考察青少年心理行为问题、父亲知晓、母亲知晓与专业心理求助态度的关系。结果发现：（1）青少年的专业心理求助态度与心理行为问题、父母知晓呈显著相关。（2）父亲知晓在青少年心理行为问题与专业心理求助态度的关系中起部分中介作用,母亲知晓的中介作用不显著。研究结果对青少年专业心理求助的干预有着重要意义。     

低收入女性的生活史特质与繁衍策略的关系

本研究探讨了单一性伙伴（n = 222）、两个以上性伙伴（n = 145）与无性伙伴（n = 106）三组低收入女性的长期配偶偏好、人生阅历、生活史特质与个人特征的关系。研究结果显示三组女性的配偶偏好趋于一致,繁衍策略的组别差异与人生阅历和所处环境具有较高相关,三组女性并不偏好特定类型的配偶。路径分析显示首次生育年龄直接预测配偶数量,受教育水平和初次性交时间对配偶数量与首次生育年龄之间的关系具有显著调节作用;女儿与父亲相处的时间可以预测初次性交年龄。研究结果显示父亲投资影响青少年性行为发展的时间表,人类繁衍的长期进化是性行为变化的根源     

父亲情绪表达与儿童社会适应:气质的调节作用

通过对341名学前儿童进行问卷调查和任务测查,考察了父亲情绪表达、儿童气质与儿童社会适应的关系。结果表明:(1)父亲积极情绪表达对儿童社会能力有正向预测作用;父亲消极情绪表达对儿童社会能力具有负向预测作用,而对外显、内隐行为问题有正向预测作用。(2)儿童的积极情绪性对其外显行为问题与社会能力均有显著正向预测作用;消极情绪性对其社会能力有负向预测作用,而对其外显行为问题有正向预测作用;儿童的努力控制对其外显行为问题有较强地负向预测作用,对其社会能力具有正向预测作用。(3)父亲情绪表达与儿童努力控制、消极情绪性对儿童社会适应有显著交互作用,父亲情绪表达对不同气质特点儿童的社会适应具有不同的预测作用。     

Empathetic Computers: The Problem of Confusing Persons and Things

As computers become both more intelligent and ubiquitous we increasingly rely on them for forms of companionship. We are relational beings, instinctively drawn to those who relate back to us, an instinct that is rooted in our creation in the image of a triune, and thus relational, God. Relationships with computers, which necessarily displace relationships with other humans, have so far been shown to be dissatisfying. This dissatisfaction arises because a computer cannot be truly empathetic. It cannot feel emotion due to its lack of a body; it can only simulate emotion. This makes relationship with a computer similar to relationship with a sociopath and can isolate us from both others and our true selves.