I had the pleasure of attending the April luncheon titled The 16 Strivings for God with Dr. Steven Reiss – hosted by the Fellowship of Christian Faculty and Staff. During the luncheon, Dr. Reiss discussed his accomplishments including his role in the establishment of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), his two books, and the Reiss Profile. 

His theory on the 16 Basic Desires of Human Nature provides a testable method on which to analyze religion in a psychological sense rather than theologically. Although Dr. Reiss stated that he does not identify with any Religion, he did admit that Religion promotes inclusion and allows people to transcend their separations. This notion reinforces the role that Religion may have in mitigating environmental degradation that has been discussed in class. In other words, by having people from difficult faith communities find common ground, similar goals may be realized and acted upon in solidarity.