“How do I grow as a fully differentiated person in relationship and increasing intimacy, increasing contribution with the world around me?” (Dr. Pam King, from the episode)

Dr. Pam King joins the Yale Center for Faith & Culture podcast, For the Life of the World, for a discussion of human development, purpose, relational intimacy, and spiritual connection—all through the integration of developmental psychology and theology.

With host Evan Rosa (Yale Center for Faith & Culture), she reflects on human change and plasticity in the midst of a whole complex life; relational attachment for the sake of intimacy and exploration and ultimate purpose or meaning; the proper place of self-love; God’s enabling and loving presence as the ultimate secure attachment figure; the importance of learning, gaining skills, and the pursuit of expertise; the prospects of regaining emotional regulation through relationships; the game changing impact of deliberate psychological and spiritual practices to move us well beyond surviving to a life of thriving.

Announcement! With & For Season 2 is dropping on January 6, 2025! And until then, every Monday from September to December, we’re sharing some shorter clips, practical features, and other talks or interviews featuring Dr. Pam King, to offer insight into what it means to thrive and pursue spiritual health.

Show Notes

• Martin Buber’s I and Thou
• John Bowlby and Attachment Theory
• Trolick’s Still Face Experiment (Video)
• Justin Barrett & Pamela Ebstyne King, Thriving with Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing
• Developmental psych as the observational study of human change in the midst of a whole life of complexity
• Plasticity of the human species
• Relational attachment for the sake of intimacy and exploration
• The Impact of environment on genetic expression
• Law if reciprocity
• Fullness of creation, redemption and consummation
• Theology as establishing ends, and psychology as developing towards gods purposes
• How psychology aids in the process of becoming our full selves as selfhood
• The proper place of self-love
• God’s enabling and loving presence
• Thriving as psychological, vs Flourishing as philosophical
• Meaningful life in eudaimonic and hedonistic terms
• Imago dei
• “Back to the future”—understanding the end toward the beginning
• Reading psychology through a teleological lens
• Linear stage theories of development
• Life as a series of cycles
• We can have a telos as a dynamic process
• Thriving as pursuing the fullness of self
• Reciprocity beyond ourselves when life is hard
• Colossians and Jesus as the perfect image of God
• Conformity is not uniformity
• Parenting as helping children to become their unique selves
• Telos as inhabiting the self, the relational, and the aspirational—purpose is found at the intersection of all three
• William Damon on purpose
• Purpose as enduring actionable goal, meaningful to the self and contributing beyond the self
• Learning, gaining skills, and pursuit of expertise
• Meaning making as a dynamic life-long project
• Orienting life in the present moment by tethering to a consummate vision of the future
• Sociality as inherent to human nature
• Goals: self, expertise acquisition, and what we aspire to
• Roles: who we are in our social networks
• Souls: what ideals are most dearly held and most meaningful
• The fundamental rejection of pre autonomy and independence; embrace of our relational selves
• How malleable our brains are through intentional practices
• Making meaning can change your brains
• Surviving vs thriving
• Attachment and regulation
• Regaining emotional regulation through relationships
• The game changing impact of deliberate psychological and spiritual practices—intention, motivation, and goals
• Possible cutoff point — The relation of psychological science and theology
• Psychology as a God-given tool to enable thriving and flourishing
• Known, loved, and loving others
• The role of suffering and loss as part of the thriving process
• For the cynical and jaded: thriving that is real to loss, grief, vulnerability, and daring to thrive

Production Notes

• This podcast featured Pamela Ebstyne King
• Edited and Produced by Evan Rosa
• Hosted by Evan Rosa
• Production Assistance by Macie Bridge and Kaylen Yun
• A Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School  https://faith.yale.edu/about
• Support For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give‍
• This episode was made possible in part by the generous support of Blueprint 1543. For more information, visit Blueprint1543.org.

About the Thrive Center

• Learn more at thethrivecenter.org.
• Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter
• Follow us on X @thrivecenter
• Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter

About Dr. Pam King

Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.

About With & For

• Host: Pam King
• Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook
• Operations Manager: Lauren Kim
• Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen
• Consulting Producer: Evan Rosa

Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.