Remembering H. Newton Malony: Pastor, Psychologist, and Integration Pioneer

Co-founding editor of IJPR, Henry Newton (Newt) Malony, Jr., died on August 10, 2020. He was 89. Dr. Malony served for 46 years (1969– 2015) on the faculty of the School of Psychology (SOP) at Fuller Theological Seminary. He identified his primary research focus as the psychology of religion (Melton et al. (1995). Allen E. Bergin, Ph.D., described Dr. Malony as “an internationally recognized pioneer in the application of religious principles to clinical practice and research,” and former IJPR editor, Ray Paloutzian, called him “a major force in reinventing the psychology of religion during the second half of the twentieth century” (back cover, Hoffman, 2015). During his decades at Fuller, Dr. Malony advised countless dissertations, authored or coauthored over 80 scholarly journal articles, and wrote, coauthored or edited over 50 books. Literally thousands of authors cited his work. His most recent volume, Early Psychoanalytic Religious Writings, is forthcoming (Malony & Shafranske, in press).

Born on May 17, 1931, to Amie (Milligan) Malony and Henry Newton Malony, Sr., Newton grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. His father tragically died when Newton was only six. Under his mother’s care, Newton excelled in school, and he earned a National Methodist Youth Scholarship to attend Birmingham-Southern College. A year after earning his AB degree (1952), he married his wife, Suzanna. Thereafter, Newton earned a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School in 1955. He then served as an ordained Methodist minister full-time for four years and part-time for another 11. He also supervised theological students from Vanderbilt Divinity School while serving as chaplain at a county psychiatric hospital (1959–1961). This chaplaincy reflected his growing passion for psychology. In 1959, he began graduate studies in clinical psychology at George Peabody College (now Vanderbilt University), obtaining his M.A. (1961) and Ph.D. (1964). Then, while continuing to work part-time as a pastor, Dr. Malony became the Director of Psychology at Frankfort State Hospital in Kentucky (1964–1965). Thereafter, he served as Professor of Psychology, Chairman of the Department of Psychology and Sociology, and Director of Counseling Service at Tennessee Wesleyan College (1965–1969).

In 1969, Dr. Lee Edward Travis (founding Dean of the SOP, established only four years earlier) hired Dr. Malony as an Associate Professor and Director of Church Consultation Services. In 1977, he was promoted to Full Professor and became Director of Programs in the Integration of Psychology and Theology (1977–1992). In 1996, he transitioned to Senior Professor, continuing to chair dissertations and remain active in writing and publishing. In 2001, he became an Emeritus Professor but did not fully retire until 2015 – and in truth – he never completely retired, as his forthcoming volume with Dr. Shafranske readily demonstrates.

Dr. Malony’s appointment in 1969 – together with two of his colleagues – helped enable Fuller’s SOP to receive its initial accreditation from the American Psychological Association in 1972. Throughout his many years of service, he was recognized as a major force behind the growth and stability of the SOP. Informed by his own personal experience in the early years, he (together with Dr. Hendrika Vande Kemp) later wrote Christ in the Heart of Psychology: The Early Years of Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology (Malony, 1996), documenting the School’s creation and first decade under the Deanship of Dr. Lee Travis.

Dr. Malony had expertise in transactional analysis, clinical psychology, psychology of religion, integration of psychology and theology, religious tolerance, and human sexuality. His lifelong occasional service as a Methodist minister (with memberships in both the Pacific and Southwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church) reflected his pastor’s heart. This was also evidenced by his many years (1969–1991) of private practice as a licensed psychologist, helping those with various psychological and/or spiritual concerns.

Whereas Dr. Malony was passionate regarding his teaching vocation and focus on the integration of psychology and Christian theology (Hoffman, 2015), his interests and accomplishments were much broader, including his scholarship and research regarding the psychology of religion. Indeed, Dr. Malony was instrumental in founding Division 36 (Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) of the American Psychological Association (APA). As stated above, he (together with L. B. Brown) co-founded IJPR in 1991, with a vision that the journal would continue to expand the global footprint of the psychology of religion. With IJPR currently in its 29^th year of publication, Dr. Malony was glad to see this vision realized. His own writing appeared in many periodicals, including the Journal of Psychology and Christianity, the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, the Review of Religious Research, the Journal of Psychology and Theology, and the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation. He also was a contributing editor to at least eight scholarly journals and served on the California Psychological Association Ethics Committee. Moreover, he served as a past President for: (a) APA Division 36, (b) the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (International), and (c) the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (Western Region).

During his career, Dr. Malony received a multitude of honors. He was a Fellow in APA Divisions 12, 26, 27, 36, and 52; a Fellow in the American Psychological Society, a Diplomate (Clinical Psychology) in the American Board of Professional Psychology; and a Diplomate in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. He received Fuller’s consummate teaching award, the C. Davis Weyerhaeuser Award (1987), and he was the featured speaker for Fuller’s 1996 Integration Symposium. He received the Distinguished Member Award (1987) from the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (Western Region). He also received both the William C. Bier Award for Contribution to the Applied Psychology of Religion (1987) and the Distinguished Member Award (1999) from APA Division 36.

The Reverend Doctor Malony also had many avocational interests. He was an oboist in several community orchestras, an avid backpacker for many years, and he restored antique cars. Newt was also a family man, and he and his wife, Suzanna, raised three beloved sons, Larz, Allen, and Michael. The Malony’s were not only best friends and proud parents, but they also loved being grandparents and great grandparents. They were also committed to social justice. For example, in Fuller’s SOP, consistent with a lifelong commitment to fighting racism, they created the H. Newton and Suzanna Malony Scholarship for ethnic minority students in the SOP, which will continue to help deserving students achieve doctoral degrees. Dr. Malony’s wife passed on several years ago. He is survived by his three sons, seven grandchildren, and eleven great grandchildren.

Throughout his career, Dr. Malony focused on teaching the integration of psychology and theology, using what he called the three P’s: principles, profession, and person. More broadly, he helped to advance the psychology of religion in significant ways, and his work will continue to influence the field for years to come. H. Newton Malony, M. Div, Ph.D., will be remembered as a family man, caring minister, and serious and prolific scholar who pursued an integrated life of faith and science. He was a professor, mentor, and clinical psychologist with a pastor’s heart. His ongoing legacy includes a tremendous influence on many colleagues and hundreds of Fuller SOP students who will continue to follow his lead in placing the cross in the heart of psychology.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.