Mind Over Matter: Honors & Psychology

By Jordyn Fouts

Maxwell Wilson, a senior Psychology and Honors double major with a Christian ministries and Biblical studies double minor, chose Honors partly because his brother went to APU and was in the Honors College. It also really struck him when, at freshman orientation, a professor said that the Honors’ goal is to make you the best Christian possible for your field. Max chose Honors because he felt it was the best way to prepare for his future, engage his faith, and experience unique academic challenges.

Has Honors improved your college experience? As an individual who works best when challenged, Max appreciates that the Honors College has provided him with the motivation necessary to thrive. Additionally, through Honors, Max has found so many solid, deep friendships and new perspectives. Max also expressed that Honors gave him an avenue through which to pursue his faith in a meaningful way, as well as new paradigms through which to approach faith. He loves the opportunity Honors provides to learn from different perspectives and disciplines.

How does Honors work with your major? Psychology is about looking at the mind and understanding human behavior. Honors, on the other hand, looks at the soul and addresses life’s biggest questions. Psychology is application-based and grounded in science, whereas Honors is grounded in seeking the truth. Honors teaches about the soul of a human; psychology teaches about the mind and human behavior. Max appreciates that being in both Psychology and Honors allows him to gain a more holistic understanding of human beings, both mind and soul.

What does your major bring into your experience with Honors? Max believes that being a psychology major has helped him better understand the authors of classical texts. Max loves to psychoanalyze the characters and authors of the books we read and believes psychology gives him a deeper understanding of the motivation and meaning of human behavior. For example, Max believes that Odysseus’s issues with his father lend insight into his behavior throughout The Odyssey. Max also feels that his psychology background helps him approach texts with compassion, seeking to understand the authors’ ideas and mindsets rather than approaching their works judgmentally.

How has Honors contributed to your career goals? Max thinks that psychology addresses the product but not the root. It addresses underlying assumptions and worldviews, but Honors has allowed him to look at his discipline holistically, focusing on the deepest truths and on Christ. Psychology can answer what the manifestation of the problem is, but Honors has helped him understand why and where these problems come from. This gave him a more grounded approach to his future career as a counselor, helping him see the whole person and not just their problems.

What books have impacted you most in Honors? On the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius was deeply impactful to Max’s understanding of his faith. It provided Max with a framework of philosophy and logic about why the crucifixion of Jesus was necessary and why it was the only way God could have achieved the full extent of both justice and mercy. Max also pointed to Thomas Hobbes’ The Leviathan as a significant book that helped him understand that we cannot know the world for what it is; rather, we know the world through our reactions to it. This helped Max realize the importance of accounting for others’ perspectives when trying to seek the truth.

Max loves how his Psychology major works with his Honors major in studying both the mind and the soul. Max knows that Honors has deepened his understanding of humanity and hopes to bring his experience with Honors into his career. We hope Max’s experience with Honors has helped you see how Psychology and Honors can bring a deep, full understanding of human beings. If you have any questions, reach out to us by phone or through email! We look forward to getting to know you, and we hope you apply.

Note: This information is current for the 2023-24 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information.