Overcoming: What Scripture & Science Say About Resilience (Overcoming Adversity Through Resilience)

As our cultural understanding of the impact of childhood trauma has deepened, it’s easy to overlook the extraordinary resilience that can grow from the soil of early adversity. Overcoming: What Science and Scripture Say About Resilience provides a comprehensive exploration of what adversity and trauma truly mean, laying the foundation for a deeper understanding of these complex experiences. This book presents a uniquely Christian perspective on resilience, seamlessly integrating substantive scientific research with biblical truth, offering a hopeful and faithful approach to overcoming adversity. With a strong emphasis on relationships, nine practical, relationship-centered strategies are offered to transform adversity into a catalyst for growth and resilience.

Through compelling stories, examples, and explanations of important research studies, this book brings the concept of resilience to life, showing rather than merely telling how it can be cultivated. Challenging the conventional view of adversity as solely negative, Overcoming reveals how challenge is a crucial ingredient for building resilience, just as resistance is essential for building physical strength. Unlike some books that prescribe complex services and programs, Overcoming emphasizes the power of relationships to buffer the negative impacts of adversity. It demonstrates how small acts of love and connection can make it easier for children to adapt and overcome hardships.

Co-authored by well-credentialed researchers and followers of Christ, Overcoming provides a unique and authoritative voice on the topic of resilience. With its unique blend of scientific rigor, biblical wisdom, and practical guidance, this book is an essential resource for anyone seeking to nurture resilience in the face of adversity.
Praise for Overcoming…

“This book is like a strong yet gentle hand that holds us all by the chins and slowly lifts our eyes up to see that our past and present circumstances are not the end of the story. Both science and scripture affirm – we are resilient, and there is hope.” – Jason Johnson, Director of Church Engagement and Mobilization with CAFO, foster and adoptive parent

“We all want to do the right thing, but knowledge is essential. In Overcoming, Nicole Wilke and Mandy Howard interpret the latest research on trauma in a Biblical context providing an invaluable roadmap for supporting those in our community who have experienced adversity.” – Dr. Dana Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., Founder of the International Adoption Clinic at the University of Minnesota, child welfare researcher, and adoptive father

From the Publisher

Overcoming: What Scripture and Science Say About Resilience

Culture warns that early adversity permanently damages children, setting them up for a lifetime of low expectations and struggle. But we know that Scripture, science, and personal experience disagree: children can overcome adversity with the right support.

As parents and caregivers, we have the opportunity to change the cultural narrative for our children by giving them tools to overcome past trauma and successfully navigate future adversity. Overcoming provides a clear roadmap to nurturing resilience in children, one simple step at a time.

Confidently Address Adversity: Learn the biblical and scientific evidence behind resilience—so you can have confidence you’re helping children grow in the right direction.Expand Your Toolbox: Get simple, practical tools you can use to navigate hard conversations and big emotions.Equip Your Children for the Future: Discover how early adversity can actually build the necessary life skills to successfully navigate future adversity.

Key Concepts from Overcoming

A Guide to Understanding the Impact of Early Adversity

With its unique Christian worldview and holistic approach, Overcoming is an empowering resource that shows how adversity may define the present, but it doesn’t have to dictate the future.

Compelling stories, examples, and explanations of important studies integrate scientific research with biblical truth to reveal how adversity can become an essential ingredient for cultivating resilience. Nine practical, relationship-centered strategies provide guidance for those looking to nurture resilience in children who have experienced early adversity.

Whether you work with vulnerable children or you’re raising a child who has experienced adversity, this book will equip you to care for children with compassion and confidence.

Praise for Overcoming

Meet the Authors

Dr. Nicole Wilke is a researcher, missionary, author, and marriage and family therapist dedicated to improving care for vulnerable children and families globally. She currently serves as Director of the CAFO Center on Applied Research for Vulnerable Children and Families, bridging research and practice to improve care for vulnerable children and families around the globe.

With expertise spanning alternative care, care reform, resilience-informed care, and child welfare best practices, Nicole has authored numerous evidence-based resources and peer-reviewed publications. Her passion for this work stems from her personal experience with adoption and fostering.

Meet the Authors

Dr. Amanda Howard is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Samford University, specializing in developmental science, action research, and social psychology. Her scholarly work centers on understanding the impact of adversity on vulnerable children and their families, with a dedicated focus on enhancing the quality of services provided by communities, organizations, and governments. She has contributed significantly to the academic field with dozens peer-reviewed journal articles. She is deeply committed to translating research to on-the-ground practice, speaking extensively in about care reform and improving public policy both nationally and internationally.

Amanda also serves as the Senior Scholar for the Christian Alliance for Orphans. In this role, she supports faith-based organizations in delivering exemplary care to at-risk children worldwide. In her free time, she enjoys camping and hiking with her husband, John, and their teenage sons, Elias and Silas.

Dr. Nicole Wilke

Dr. Amanda Howard

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DDPTTDV8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 19, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 281 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8332765438
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.64 x 8 inches
Part of series ‏ : ‎ Overcoming Adversity Through Resilience
Best Sellers Rank: #347,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #502 in Medical Child Psychology #663 in Popular Child Psychology #4,563 in Parenting (Books)
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