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Until recently, social sciences only studied different religious identities (Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, etc) and identifying as none of these meant being labelled a religious “none.” However, recent studies in psychology have discovered a new group of people called the religious “dones.” Unlike some “nones” who have never been religious, this new group contains people who were religious at one point but have now deidentified from religion.

But, religious “dones” aren’t always completely “done.” Sometimes they may not have totally deidentified but would describe themselves as “deconstructing.” Studies also show that the spiritually-seeking religious “dones” have the highest rates of depression, anxiety, and mental health needs.

Our project is devoted to providing access to mental health care and spiritual meaning making for spiritually seeking religious “dones.”

Learn more at https://www.sfrproject.org/

Richmont’s Office of Christian Integration is partnering with The Ken Matheny Center for the Study of Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (MSTAR) at Georgia State University to host two upcoming presentations both focusing on the theme of Mental Health & Faith Deconstruction. These presentations will take place at noon on Monday, October 23, in Room CEHD 1030 on the Georgia State campus.

Presentation 1 will be delivered by Daryl Van Tongeren from Hope College. It is entitled, “Religious Dones: The Science of Religious Deidentification.”

Presentation 2 will be delivered by Preston Hill from Richmont. It is entitled, “Posttraumatic Spiritual Yearning: Religious Dones in Theological Context.”

The event is free but requires registration at this link:

Register Today

Richmont is pleased to announce that faculty instructor Emily Oliver has been promoted to Assistant Professor upon the conferral of her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Lee University in Cleveland, TN. The title of her dissertation is, “Nothing Like We Expected”: Examining the Relationship between Purity Culture and Sexual Functioning and Satisfaction in Adulthood.

Dr. Oliver is an alumna of Richmont, where she earned her M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy and specialized in Christian Sex Therapy, and Child and Adolescent Counseling. Dr. Oliver is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. As Coordinator of Richmont’s Marriage and Family Therapy Certificate, Dr. Oliver teaches many of Richmont’s MFT courses using her wealth of experience in the field.

“I am thrilled to be able to continue my time at Richmont, now as an Assistant Professor. I am grateful to join the ranks among other professors who have been an incredible support to me over the past year while writing my dissertation and finishing my PhD. I am excited to continue walking alongside our students as they become counselors and therapists who care so deeply about the wellbeing of others,” comments Dr. Oliver.

Dr. Cara Cochran, Dean of the School of Counseling states, “Having Emily Oliver as faculty at Richmont is a joy. She is talented as a clinician, and as a professor. She truly invests in our students, and in the Richmont community. I am especially thankful to have another former student as a colleague. We look forward to her continued contributions to our university.”

Richmont Graduate University has been awarded a $372,281 grant from The John Templeton Foundation to fund pioneering research in human meaning-making and flourishing. The grant is part of Templeton’s new “Spiritual Yearning Research Initiative” which is committed to exploring the spiritual desires and flourishing of the nonreligious. This highly competitive grant, which recognizes outstanding innovation, will provide our own Dr. Preston Hill, Assistant Professor and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program, with vital resources to advance the University’s cutting-edge work.

As Dr. Hill notes, “I am completely gratified and enthusiastic about the successful outcome of this grant proposal. With this prestigious award, Richmont enters an elite group of grantees funded by the world’s leading foundation for research in fields such as theology and psychological science.”

“My grant project entitled ‘The Spiritual First Responders Project’ explores how ancient spiritual practices from diverse theological traditions that can help those ‘deconstructing’ their faith feel less spiritually homeless and access mental health care that promotes well-being and spiritual meaning-making. Building off prior work from my Richmont colleagues, this grant will fuse evidence-based clinical mental health interventions with spiritual practice for an urgent public health need. I can think of no better project to capture the heart of Richmont’s legacy and commitment to faith and mental health for healing and transformation.”

President Timothy Quinnan adds: “A grant from the John Templeton Foundation is the absolute gold standard of recognition for frontier-pushing research in higher education. It sends a clear, powerful signal that Richmont has become a force for new knowledge generation.”

The grant provides research funding for a two-year period, starting in 2024 and lasting through 2025.

As a leading institution committed to fostering groundbreaking research, Richmont is thrilled and recognizes the significance of this grant in further strengthening its position as a hub for cutting-edge research and transformative practical application.

Dr. Jama White, who has served at the helm of the clinical training program at the Chattanooga campus has announced her retirement after 19 years. Dr. White was recently honored by the faculty of the School of Counseling with the rank of Professor Emerita for her faithful service to the university. Dr. White states, “Richmont has been a wonderful corner of God’s kingdom to serve in.  It has been a privilege to be a part of the quality training and supportive community that are Richmont’s hallmarks.  I hope to remain involved with students in this special mission in the days ahead.”

“Dr. Jama White has made an indelible mark on the lives of an entire generation of counselors on the Chattanooga campus.  Her quiet leadership has built a clinical training program that demonstrates excellence, and we are incredibly grateful for her investment in students,” noted Dr. Cara Cochran, Dean of the School of Counseling.

With Dr. White’s retirement, Dr. Stephanie Keane has been appointed as the Assistant Director of Clinical Training for the Chattanooga campus.  “Clinical training is a vital and pivotal part of becoming a strong clinician. I am excited to have the opportunity to work more directly with interns in cultivating their counseling skills and helping them to navigate their internship experience as the Assistant Director of Clinical Training at Richmont’s Chattanooga campus,” remarked Dr. Keane.  “Dr Keane came to Richmont with a passion for clinical training, and we look forward to her leadership, along with the other members of the Clinical Training Department at Richmont,” states Dr. Cochran.

A celebration honoring Dr. White will be announced in the coming weeks.