authors

Raymond F. Paloutzian received his Ph.D in 1972 from Claremont Graduate School and has been a professor of experimental and social psychology at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California since 1981. He previously was on the faculty at the University of Idaho and has been a visiting professor teaching psychology of religion at Stanford University. In the Spring of 2002, Dr. Paloutzian was Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the Catholic University Leuven, Belgium. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (through divisions on general, teaching, social issues, and psychology of religion), the American Psychological Society, and the Western Psychological Association. In 1992-93, Dr. Paloutzian was honored to serve as President of APA Division 36 (Psychology of Religion). An active contributor to teaching and scholarship, he edited a special issue of The Journal of Social Issues on the topic, "Religious Influences on Personal and Societal Well-Being." He has received four awards from the Templeton Foundation for the publication of Exemplary Papers in Human Behavioral Sciences, and a Templeton grant for his course in the psychology of religion. His book, Invitation to the Psychology of Religion (Allyn & Bacon), has helped define the psychology of religion for the past decade. Dr. Paloutzian is editor of The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion.

Craig W. Ellison is the Director of the Alliance Graduate School of Counseling. He has been professor of Urban Studies and Counseling at the Alliance Theological Seminary since 1983. He is also a psychotherapist in private practice in Nyack, NY. Dr. Ellison is the author of seven books including From Stress to Well-Being (Word/Nelson) and Healing for the City (Zondervan). Dr. Ellison is on the National Advisory Board of the American Association of Christian Counselors and is a contributing editor for the Journal of Psychology and Theology. His weekly radio broadcast, "Perspectives on Personal Living" has been heard throughout the U.S. for 18 years. He has appeared on several national TV programs, including Good Morning America. Dr. Ellison was the founding Director of New Hope Counseling Centers in the Metro New York area. Prior to coming to New York, he developed and directed the first Christian counseling center in San Francisco, now known as Christian Counseling Centers. Dr. Ellison has been named to a number of biographical directories, including the first edition of the Marquis Who's Who of Emerging Leaders in America (1987) and Marquis' Who's Who in Religion (1992). He has also been the recipient of the Alumnus of the Year award from King's College (NY), and the Distinguished Member Award from the Christian Association for Psychological Studies. Dr. Ellison received the Templeton Foundation award for outstanding scholarly publication in 1994.