FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  August 22, 2014

For more information:
Glenville State College
Public Relations
(304) 462-4115

GLENVILLE, WV—Glenville State College Professor of Psychology, Dr. Fred Walborn, has written a book titled ‘Religion in Personality Theory’ published by Academic Press.

Walborn said, “Religion and spirituality are important facets of many people’s lives, however, psychology books have devoted limited discussion to how, when, and why religion and spirituality can be essential to peoples’ personality development and lives.” Walborn has been teaching at GSC for a decade. Prior to coming to GSC he worked as a clinical psychologist and administrator in the field of psychology.

“I wrote this book because there are so few psychological texts that summarize the religious and spiritual writings of the classic psychologists. Each chapter of the book concludes with a review of the empirical literature in regard to the specific psychologists’ theoretical writings. Even though the various theorists wrote on specific areas of religion and spirituality (e.g., altruism or prejudice), there has been a need for a comprehensive theory. I concluded the book with my proposal for a comprehensive, integrative, developmental, and psychosocial theory on religion and spirituality.

Two preeminent scholars, who have written numerous books and research articles on religion and spirituality, endorsed the text.

Dr. Ralph W. Hood Jr. summarized, “Walborn has written an excellent text that explores the degree to which classical personality theorists were personally influenced by and focused upon religion in developing their personality theories…. The author’s own comprehensive theory of religion and spirituality creatively integrates the positive contributions of the classical personality theorist to the contemporary psychology of religion.”

Dr. Raymond F. Paloutzian commended the fair approach of the text, “This book is exceptionally well balanced, carefully crafted so that all ideas are clearly and even-handedly on the table to be freely examined by all. Walborn is honest, refreshingly has no between-the-lines agenda on a topic that has great bias potential, and discusses in straight-talk those issues about religiousness that are on students’ minds but not typically discussed by psychologists….Walborn also presents an “integrative/comprehensive” theory of spirituality and religion that pulls pieces of the disparate approaches together in application of the ideas where they are most relevant across the lifespan. The book is not a mere documentary on theories; it is instead an introduction to them with the addition of a research message rooted in the latest empirical literature. How to better let students see how research derives from theory, and that theory is forward moving and modified by the evidence?”

Walborn earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in accounting from the University of Illinois. He received his Master’s in experimental psychology from Western Illinois University and his Master’s and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Alliant International University. In 1986, Walborn wrote a graduate-level textbook for psychotherapists titled ‘Process Variables.’  Walborn, who resides in Glenville, received the GSC Faculty Award of Excellence in 2011. During four of the past five summers, he has taught psychology classes aboard U.S. Navy ships.

‘Religion in Personality Theory’ is dedicated to Walborn’s parents. In the book’s preface he acknowledges the Glenville State College community for their support of the endeavor. The book is available at Amazon.com or through elsevierdirect.com

For more information about the book, contact Walborn at Frederick.Walborn@glenville.edu or call (304) 462-6279.