The Role of Place in Shaping Our Faith: A Conversation with Dr. Victor Counted

Imagine walking into a room and feeling an inexplicable sense of attachment. Have you wondered why? In this episode, we explore that very question with our guest, Dr. Victor Counted, a renowned researcher and associate professor at Regent University. Our discussion pivots around the psychology of religion and environmental psychology, unearthing how our attachment to places and God shapes our identities and spirituality. Also, Dr. Counted brings an eye-opening perspective on the interplay between our emotional bonds to places and our faith experiences. Join us on this thought-provoking journey as we offer insights into how the interaction of place, faith, and psychology can enhance human flourishing in a spiritual context. Listen to learn about : The psychology of religion and places and how we form attachments to places. The concept of embodied cognition and how it can be applied to the church context to help people re-establish a connection with the church. Four processes to help people reconnect to the church. Bio: Vic Counted, Ph.D., is an associate professor and director of the Abundant Life Flourishing Program at the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Regent University, VA. He is also a faculty affiliate of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University. His work primarily examines various psychosocial and psychospiritual processes that shape, support, and sustain health and well-being across cultures, including how the interactions with the physical and social environments contribute to human flourishing. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and many book chapters. His books include "The Roots of Radicalization" (2021, Lexington Book) and "Place and Post-Pandemic Flourishing" (2021, Springer Nature). RESOURCES: Website - https://vcounted.com/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@vcounted Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VCounted This episode was produced by WildfireCreative Theme Song: "Turning Over Tables" by The Brilliance Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | Stitcher | RSS Follow us on Twitter: @drjamieaten | @kentannan Follow on Instagram: @wildfirecreativeco (Note to the listener: In this podcast, sometimes we'll have Evangelicals, and sometimes we won't. Learning how to do better involves listening to many perspectives with different insights and understanding. Sometimes it will make us uncomfortable, sometimes, we'll agree, and sometimes we won't. We think that's good. We want to listen for correction– Especially in our blind spots.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices