| 8:35-8:40 a.m., Opening |
| 8:45-9:45 a.m., The Walls Came Tumbling Down |
Gunnar Christiansen, MD, PhD Just as the Israelites marched, hollered, and blew their horns to
collapse the walls of Jericho, it is now time for members of our Faith
Communities to do the same in order to eliminate the wall of stigma of
mental illness. This presentation will discuss how to advocate for a
focused ministry for those with mental illness and maintain a nourishing
environment for those with mental illness. |
| 10-10:50 a.m., A Neuroscience Spin on the Imago Dei–Implications for the Illness of Schizophrenia |
| Richard Josiassen, PhD Jewish and Christian theology asserts that human beings are created
in God’s image (Imago Dei) and therefore have inherent value independent
of their utility or function. This session will analyze the
interpretations of the idea of God’s image. One interpretation asserts
that this doctrine is a conscious recognition of having been made in the
image of God, with the implication that to be human we can and must
interact creatively with the rest of creation. The moral implications
are apparent: if humans are to love God, then humans must love other
humans whom God has created, as each is an expression of God. The
presentation will discuss what modern neuroscience teaches about the
effects of loving one another. |
| 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Panel Response and Q&A |
This session will provide an opportunity to further discuss, clarify, and critique issues related to focused ministries for the mentally ill and the implications of God's image for schizophrenia. |
| 12:00 p.m. Lunch |
| 2 - 2:50 p.m. Where the Rubber Hits the Road–Our Own Place of Worship |
Gunnar Christiansen, MD, PhD
Sponsored by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Persons who are known and respected in their own place of worship
have far more influence in developing meaningful ministry with those
affected by mental illness than visiting experts. This presentation will
show how and why attendees should develop meaningful ministries for the
mentally ill; list steps for development of a welcoming and spiritually
nourishing environment for those affected by mental illness; and
explain resources available through NAMI FaithNet, which are useful for
education of parishioners and clergy. |
| 3-3:50 p.m. Better Together: Improving the Lives of Those Affected by Mental Illness |
NAMI Panel: Paul Stansbury, Waybe Baldaro, Rita Murray, Fran Hovorka
Serious and chronic mental illness affects 1 in 4 families in
America. This lecture will analyze how the person living with the
illness and the families are all affected by the reality of living and
suffering with the effect of mental illness. This panel will also
discuss how the church can help from the perspective of family members. |
| 4 - 4:50 p.m. Response and Q&A |
| All presenters. This session will summarize the topics discussed throughout the day
and engage the audience in analyzing and having further conversation on
the issues specific to schizophrenia and human flourishing. |
| 5-6 p.m. Research Poster Session |
| This session will provide an opportunity to describe research findings,
new ideas, innovations and advances in the field of psychology and
summarize research results, case studies reports and/or educational
project addressing topics relevant to the field of psychology. |
| 7:00 p.m. Movie and Discussion: "A Beautiful Mind" |