The Psychologist, the Philosopher, the Theologian, and the Self-Help Guru

The four fields of religion, philosophy, psychology, and self-help offer ways to make sense of the human experience. But do they complement each other, or do they serve fundamentally different purposes? Can we integrate insights across these areas without oversimplifying or distorting them?
JBP often brings a blend of these disciplines into conversation—from biblical narratives, to philosophical reasoning, to clinical psychology, and motivational strategies. In our discussion, we’ll explore the interplay of these domains in comparison to their original purposes. What does each offer uniquely? Where do they overlap? Where do they clash?

Questions to consider:

1. Why might someone choose to pursue religion, philosophy, psychology, or self-help as a singular focus? What draws different people to one over the others?
2. On the other hand, why would one want to integrate perspectives across these fields?
3. In what ways would bringing topics together deepen understanding—or create contradictions?
4. Does the breadth of JBP’s knowledge and his integration of multiple concepts strengthen the evidence for his claims, or create intellectual pitfalls and paradoxes? Can you give examples?
5. How have religion, philosophy, psychology, or self-help shaped your own thinking or life experiences?

GENERAL INFORMATION:
The first half hour of our meetup is for mingling, then 7:30pm-10pm consists of a formal presentation and discussion; the discussion section may divide into smaller groups if size necessitates. All are encouraged to contribute to the formal discussion, although you may decline if you wish. Afterwards, we enjoy further discussion with those who wish to stay longer and pursue pertinent topics in more depth, but people should feel free to leave whenever they want/need to.

We have a potluck for everyone to partake of throughout the evening, so bring some food to share if you wish (this could be anything from a bag of chips to a homemade dish).
Our fundamental principle is to encourage the free expression and exploration of ideas. Therefore, we will never silence controversial views that anyone may have about a topic. For the same reason, we do not tolerate direct personal attacks, which only impede genuine dialogue.

DISCORD SERVER (updated link!):
The group has a Discord server! This gives us all a space to talk about stuff between meetups. Use the following link to join, if you haven't already:
https://discord.gg/FRab8G8j2V