Wonder: From Emotion to Spirituality

Acknowledgments

acknowledgments I had never studied emotion in a systematic fashion prior to beginning this project. Imagine my sudden loss of confidence when I realized that the word ‘‘wonder’’ couldn’t be found in the index of any of the first thirty psychology texts I consulted ! If I had been left all to myself, this project would never have moved forward. The first to lend assistance was Kelly Bulkeley. Kelly, the author of several excellent books that link modern dream research and humanistic inquiry, had just ventured on the topic of wonder, too. He graciously sent me a copy of a paper he had delivered at an annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion. His thoughts on the topic were most helpful. Two colleagues in Bradley University’s Department of Psychology took time to prepare bibliographical suggestions and clarify critical terms. Dave Schmitt, an evolutionary psychologist, steered me toward works that examine the evolutionary-adaptive function of emotions and alerted me to some of the theoretical land mines that would await me. Derek Montgomery, a developmental psychologist, responded to continuing queries on my part. His e-mail correspondence became a lively tutorial through which I learned a great deal about the role of emotion in cognitive development. John Corrigan, Edwin Scott Gaustad Professor of Religion at Florida State University, was exceedingly generous with support and guidance. His publications in the field of religion and emotion x acknowledments steered me in profitable directions. His personal encouragement was even more appreciated. Finally, a host of great colleagues at Bradley continue to make my professional work fun. Special thanks go to my dean, Claire Etaugh, who provides a role model for our college’s dual commitment to teaching and research. Doug Crowe, Kevin Teeven, Kevin Stein, Dave Pardieck, Chuck Stoner, and Sam Fan help regenerate me when emotions lag. And our assistant vice president for university relations (my wife, Kathy) continues to be the wonder of my life. wonder This page intentionally left blank ...