From “Love Your Neighbor: How Psychology Can Enliven Faith and Transform Community” by Katherine M. Douglas and Brittany M. Tausen
In this book, we will explore the questions “Why do I struggle to love my neighbor?” and “How can I love better?” Studies in psychology and theology have harmonious insights that can help us unpack these questions. As a practical theologian (Katie) and psychological scientist (Brittany), we came to this shared conclusion through our friendship. Casual conversations about the courses we were teaching, the research we were conducting, and the experiences we were having led to mana aha moments when we could see the ways that our fields were not in conflict, but rather pointing to similar conclusions about what it means to love others well and how challenging it can be to do so.
We began working together when Seattle Pacific University hosted a homeless encampment for a few months. Both of us were interested in how our students could love these unhoused neighbors. Our early conversations turned into a research project, some of which we will share in chapter 6, and eventually this book. This book is a compilation of our conversations and revelations about how the study of psychology and theology can mutually inform one another.