Incorporating Early Christian Traditions into Psychology

Welcome to episode forty of New Creation Conversations. In today’s conversation I am joined by a good friend and former colleague from Azusa Pacific University, Dr. Dennis Okholm. Dennis – affectionately known to his students as “Doc Ock” - is in his nineteenth year as a Professor of Theology at APU. He has also taught in Kenya, Romania, and Sudan. Dennis is an alum of Wheaton College and has MA and MDiv degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and ThM and PhD degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary. 

 Dennis has written for a number of scholarly magazines and journals across the years. Our conversation focuses on his three most recent books: Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants; Dangerous Passions, Deadly Sins: Learning from the Psychology of the Ancient Monks; and Learning Theology Through the Church’s Worship: An Introduction to Christian Belief. I have a deep respect for Dennis’ work in theology. He has deep passion and interest in early and medieval theologians, but he doesn’t just leave them there in history but is able to bring their writings into everyday contemporary life. Likewise, what I so appreciated about him as a colleague at APU was his conviction that teaching theology was not just about helping students to think more Christianly, but to live more Christianly as well. I don’t doubt that those concerns and convictions will be clear in my conversation with Dennis, and I don’t doubt that what he has to say will be encouraging and helpful for you as well.