“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out,” (Proverbs 18:15).

Welcome to the inaugural post for the Center for the Study of Human Behavior (CSHB) blog! I am thrilled to have you join us in this digital space, where we can come together as a community of individuals interested in acquiring and extending our knowledge with the use of the empirical and theoretical tools of research. It is my hope as the Director of Research for the CSHB that the resources offered by the CSHB can support, extend and enhance your research whether you are just beginning or are a seasoned veteran to the research process.

As a research psychologist, I am deeply committed to the methods of science; I believe they offer valuable tools essential to distinguishing reality from perception. As a Christian, I am deeply committed to the truth of Scripture and the value of the Christian tradition in engaging the teachings of Jesus Christ in the 21st century. For me, research is not just about knowledge, and the teachings of Jesus Christ are not just about belief; for me, both of these things come together as critical elements in my epistemological toolkit. Science, Scripture and the Christian tradition are three tools that I leverage as I seek to live a life worthy of my calling, to pursue truth and to better understand and engage with our Creator.

Here in this blog you will see snapshots of some of the research conducted through the CSHB. You will also hear stories of researchers bringing their identities as scientists and Christians together in the research process. You will read about innovative research happening across the globe and have an opportunity to engage in conversations about the implications. You may even find that you want to author a blog post to share about your own research, research you have read about, or your personal journey as a researcher. (Look for a future blog post for details on how to become a CSHB blog contributor!)

The CSHB website hosts this blog, and I encourage you to explore and engage with the content on the website. There is a lot of information complied there for you to enhance your skills, wherever you are in your research journey. (And, to be sure, it is a journey!) If you have suggestions for how to improve the website or suggestions for materials, resources or workshops that you would like to see in the future, please don’t hesitate to contact us.We are here to support your work. Let us know how we are doing that well or how we can do that better!

In fact, to encourage that exploration, I want to give you some CSHB-sponsored swag. Leave a comment below and tell us what you think of our new website. Want more entries while also ensuring that you are staying up-to-date on our research happenings? Subscribe to our newsletter here for occasional updates on CSHB happenings. (Don’t worry, we won’t spam your inbox.) All comments and newsletter subscriptions before September 25 will be entered into our raffle; winners will be drawn September 27, 2018! (Raffles only for current CBU students.)

 

Happy Researching,

Erin I. Smith, Ph.D.

Director of Research, Center for the Study of Human Behavior

cshb@calbaptist.edu