Paul Clayton Vitz (born August 27, 1935) is an American psychologist who is a Senior Scholar at Divine Mercy University in Sterling, Virginia. He is emeritus professor of psychology at New York University. His work focuses primarily on the relationship between psychology and Christianity.
From 1962 to 1964, Vitz taught at Pomona College. He held a post-doc at Stanford University, from 1964 to 1965. He was hired in the fall of 1965 as assistant professor in the psychology department of New York University. He received tenure there in the fall of 1972. His research was focused on perceptual and cognitive psychology, especially sequential pattern learning and visual form perception and preferred levels of stimulus complexity. Vitz also has an ongoing interest in psychology and art as shown in a co-authored work: "Modern Art and Modern Science: The Parallel Analysis of Vision", 1984. His interest in visual art has also focused on the two brain hemispheres and on a hierarchical model of image construction in visual perception.[2]
His career changed markedly in the mid-seventies with his conversion from atheism to Christianity and later, in 1979, to Catholicism. His first book, "Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship", 1977 (2nd ed., 1994), critiqued humanistic psychology (e.g. Rogers, Maslow) for its radical individualism, neglect of interpersonal relationships, and its assumption that self-actualization was the meaning of life for everyone. In the early 1980s Vitz was involved in the national controversy over neglect of religion, especially Christianity in public school textbooks. He authored "Censorship: Evidence of bias in our children's textbooks", 1984. During this decade he also wrote articles on Christian approaches to the work of Sigmund Freud, resulting in his book "Sigmund Freud's Christian Unconscious", 1988. This book provides much historical and biographical evidence for Freud's deep and lifelong involvement with and ambivalence toward Christianity, especially Catholicism. It also shows that the significance of this concern with Christianity has been widely neglected and ignored by his biographers. Another interest of his at this time was moral development involving a critique of rational/cognitive approaches, e.g. Kohlberg, and an emphasis on stories. See "The use of stories in moral development: New psychological reasons for an old education method", Amer. Psychologist, 1990. In the 1980s and especially in the 90's his work turned to personality theory and Christianity and to the psychological importance of fathers. The latter culminated in a book on what Vitz claims are the psychological factors which produce atheism, "Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism", 1999 and a 2nd ed. in 2013. He has made basic contributions as an editor to "A Catholic Christian Meta-Model of the Person", 2020 and to "The Complementarity of Women and Men", 2021. He is presently working on the origin of human consciousness, the relevance of the soul for psychology, and on the consequences of analog and digital coding.
At New York University he was promoted to full Professor and he retired from there in 2003 as Professor Emeritus. He is now Senior Scholar/Professor in the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, Divine Mercy University.[3]
Personal lifeedit
Vitz is married to Evelyn Birge Vitz, a Professor of French at New York University specializing in medieval studies and in the performance of medieval and other narrative works. They had six children and now twenty-three grandchildren.
Publicationsedit
Vitz, Paul C. (1977). Psychology as religion : the cult of self-worship. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. ISBN0802816967.
Vitz, Paul C.; Glimcher, Arnold B. (1983). Modern art and modern science : the parallel analysis of vision. New York, N.Y.: Praeger. ISBN0030624665.
Vitz, Paul C. (1986). Censorship : evidence of bias in our children's textbooks. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Servant Books. ISBN089283305X.
Vitz, Paul C. (1988). Sigmund Freud's Christian unconscious. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN0898626730.
Vitz, Paul C. (1998). Defending the Family: A Sourcebook. Steubenville, Oh: Catholic Social Science Press. ISBN1888462000.
Vitz, Paul C. (1999). Faith of the fatherless : the psychology of atheism. Dallas: Spence Pub. ISBN1890626252.
Vitz, Paul C.; Felch, Susan M., eds. (2006). The self : beyond the postmodern crisis. Wilmington, De.: ISI Books. ISBN1932236864.
Vitz, Paul C.; Kamorina, T. (2014). "A four-stage hierarchical model of image construction and drawing production: Evidence from visual hallucinations, development and pathologic regression in art". International Journal of Neuropsychotherapy. 2 (1): 2–26. doi:10.12744/ijnpt.2014.0002-0026.
Vitz, Paul C. (2017). The origin of consciousness in the integration of analog (right hemisphere) & digital (left hemisphere) codes. Journal of Consciousness Exploration & Research, 8(11), pp. 881–906.
Vitz, Paul C., Nordling W. J., & Titus, C.S. (Eds.) (2020). A Catholic Christian Meta-Model of the Person: Integration with psychology and mental health practice. Sterling, VA: Divine Mercy University Press. (Expanded Reason Award, 2020. Benedict XVI Foundation, Rome.)
Vitz, Paul C. (Ed.) (2021). The complementarity of women and men: Philosophy, theology, psychology and art. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press.
^"Paul Vitz: An Atheist Presbyterian Who Became a Catholic Christian". The Coming Home Network International.
^*Vitz, Paul C.; Kamorina, T. (2014). "A four-stage hierarchical model of image construction and drawing production: Evidence from visual hallucinations, development and pathologic regression in art". International Journal of Neuropsychotherapy. 2 (1): 2–26. doi:10.12744/ijnpt.2014.0002-0026.
^"FACULTY – Paul C. Vitz, Ph.D." Divine Mercy University.
January 01, 1970
paul, vitz, paul, clayton, vitz, born, august, 1935, american, psychologist, senior, scholar, divine, mercy, university, sterling, virginia, emeritus, professor, psychology, york, university, work, focuses, primarily, relationship, between, psychology, christi. Paul Clayton Vitz born August 27 1935 is an American psychologist who is a Senior Scholar at Divine Mercy University in Sterling Virginia He is emeritus professor of psychology at New York University His work focuses primarily on the relationship between psychology and Christianity Paul VitzBornPaul Clayton Vitz 1935 08 27 August 27 1935 age 88 Toledo Ohio USSpouseEvelyn Timmie Birge VitzChildrenRebecca Vitz Cherico Jessica Vitz McGibbon Fr Daniel Vitz IVE Peter T Vitz Michael G Vitz Anna Vitz PriceAcademic backgroundAlma materUniversity of MichiganStanford UniversityAcademic workDisciplineCognitive PsychologySub disciplinePsychology and Religion Psychology and ArtInstitutionsNew York UniversityNotable ideasSelfism Contents 1 Career 2 Personal life 3 Publications 4 See also 5 ReferencesCareer editPaul Vitz was born on August 27 1935 in Toledo Ohio He moved to Minneapolis and later to Cincinnati Ohio which he considers his hometown He was raised as a nominal Presbyterian 1 He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in psychology from the University of Michigan in 1957 and with a PhD in psychology from Stanford University in 1962 From 1962 to 1964 Vitz taught at Pomona College He held a post doc at Stanford University from 1964 to 1965 He was hired in the fall of 1965 as assistant professor in the psychology department of New York University He received tenure there in the fall of 1972 His research was focused on perceptual and cognitive psychology especially sequential pattern learning and visual form perception and preferred levels of stimulus complexity Vitz also has an ongoing interest in psychology and art as shown in a co authored work Modern Art and Modern Science The Parallel Analysis of Vision 1984 His interest in visual art has also focused on the two brain hemispheres and on a hierarchical model of image construction in visual perception 2 His career changed markedly in the mid seventies with his conversion from atheism to Christianity and later in 1979 to Catholicism His first book Psychology as Religion The Cult of Self Worship 1977 2nd ed 1994 critiqued humanistic psychology e g Rogers Maslow for its radical individualism neglect of interpersonal relationships and its assumption that self actualization was the meaning of life for everyone In the early 1980s Vitz was involved in the national controversy over neglect of religion especially Christianity in public school textbooks He authored Censorship Evidence of bias in our children s textbooks 1984 During this decade he also wrote articles on Christian approaches to the work of Sigmund Freud resulting in his book Sigmund Freud s Christian Unconscious 1988 This book provides much historical and biographical evidence for Freud s deep and lifelong involvement with and ambivalence toward Christianity especially Catholicism It also shows that the significance of this concern with Christianity has been widely neglected and ignored by his biographers Another interest of his at this time was moral development involving a critique of rational cognitive approaches e g Kohlberg and an emphasis on stories See The use of stories in moral development New psychological reasons for an old education method Amer Psychologist 1990 In the 1980s and especially in the 90 s his work turned to personality theory and Christianity and to the psychological importance of fathers The latter culminated in a book on what Vitz claims are the psychological factors which produce atheism Faith of the Fatherless The Psychology of Atheism 1999 and a 2nd ed in 2013 He has made basic contributions as an editor to A Catholic Christian Meta Model of the Person 2020 and to The Complementarity of Women and Men 2021 He is presently working on the origin of human consciousness the relevance of the soul for psychology and on the consequences of analog and digital coding At New York University he was promoted to full Professor and he retired from there in 2003 as Professor Emeritus He is now Senior Scholar Professor in the Institute for the Psychological Sciences Divine Mercy University 3 Personal life editVitz is married to Evelyn Birge Vitz a Professor of French at New York University specializing in medieval studies and in the performance of medieval and other narrative works They had six children and now twenty three grandchildren Publications editVitz Paul C 1977 Psychology as religion the cult of self worship Grand Rapids Eerdmans ISBN 0802816967 Vitz Paul C Glimcher Arnold B 1983 Modern art and modern science the parallel analysis of vision New York N Y Praeger ISBN 0030624665 Vitz Paul C 1986 Censorship evidence of bias in our children s textbooks Ann Arbor Mich Servant Books ISBN 089283305X Vitz Paul C 1988 Sigmund Freud s Christian unconscious New York Guilford Press ISBN 0898626730 Vitz Paul C 1998 Defending the Family A Sourcebook Steubenville Oh Catholic Social Science Press ISBN 1888462000 Vitz Paul C 1999 Faith of the fatherless the psychology of atheism Dallas Spence Pub ISBN 1890626252 Vitz Paul C Felch Susan M eds 2006 The self beyond the postmodern crisis Wilmington De ISI Books ISBN 1932236864 Vitz Paul C Kamorina T 2014 A four stage hierarchical model of image construction and drawing production Evidence from visual hallucinations development and pathologic regression in art International Journal of Neuropsychotherapy 2 1 2 26 doi 10 12744 ijnpt 2014 0002 0026 Vitz Paul C 2017 The origin of consciousness in the integration of analog right hemisphere amp digital left hemisphere codes Journal of Consciousness Exploration amp Research 8 11 pp 881 906 Vitz Paul C Nordling W J amp Titus C S Eds 2020 A Catholic Christian Meta Model of the Person Integration with psychology and mental health practice Sterling VA Divine Mercy University Press Expanded Reason Award 2020 Benedict XVI Foundation Rome Vitz Paul C Ed 2021 The complementarity of women and men Philosophy theology psychology and art Washington D C Catholic University of America Press See also edit nbsp Biography portal nbsp Psychology portal Postmodern psychologyReferences edit Paul Vitz An Atheist Presbyterian Who Became a Catholic Christian The Coming Home Network International Vitz Paul C Kamorina T 2014 A four stage hierarchical model of image construction and drawing production Evidence from visual hallucinations development and pathologic regression in art International Journal of Neuropsychotherapy 2 1 2 26 doi 10 12744 ijnpt 2014 0002 0026 FACULTY Paul C Vitz Ph D Divine Mercy University Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paul Vitz amp oldid 1175944553, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
