Hunger for Intimacy and Meaning: The Universal Vision
Don and Robbie Joy work on this hypothesis: Every healthy person arrives on this planet with a dream that emerges by the adolescent and young adult years: “Somewhere there is someone with whom I can share my secrets and who will join me in an exclusive in the Scripture mystery of ‘two become one’ to face the future.” That yearning, reflected in Creation, is for “two to become one,” in the image of God reflecting the mystery of a three-in-one Trinity.
Joy, who has completed a 28 year career as professor of human development and family studies at Asbury Theological Seminary is a distinguished lecturer and author of eighteen books, most of them dealing with relationships, human development and the family. His research in moral reasoning of children continues to take him into parent and school conferences as a consultant and speaker. He has been a frequent guest on Dr. James Dobson’s well known radio talk show, “Focus on the Family.” But he has also served as a consultant to the Office of Pregnancy Prevention at the US Department of Health and Human Services. In 1993 and 1994 he was called on to work with the Christian Embassy inside the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill as policies on sexual issues were being hammered out.
With a high interest in the arts and humanities, Joy served a full term as a director of the Kentucky Humanities Council. Dr. Joy has lectured on more than a thirty college and university campuses and has conducted training conferences for counseling professionals. His work on recovery strategies for marital pain occasioned by sexual or financial trauma keeps him in high demand both for working with young audiences during their formative years and with couples and adults of all ages who are in pursuit of integrity. He is in demand for workshops with specialists in the health care, social work, counseling and ministry services.
Dr. Joy holds graduate degrees from Southern Methodist University in counseling, from Indiana University in curriculum development, with concentrations in developmental psychology and in English linguistics, and from Asbury Theological Seminary where he prepared for a career in pastoral care and ministry. Joy taught public school music and coached basketball in Minneola, Kansas, before taking up pastoral care studies.
After serving as a pastor in Kansas and Texas, he was recruited to lead the curriculum development responsibilities of his denomination for a dozen years prior to accepting the teaching post at Asbury. In June of 1998, Joy completed the career begun in February 1971 as professor of human development and family studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. His “new career” since has been to say “yes” to more “on the road” invitations. Joy is responding to invitations from colleges, universities, and other agencies for intensive events not possible during the long career as Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Asbury Seminary. He continues his weekend seminar and preaching events with local churches. Joy continues teaching in the Family and Counseling Ministry track of the Doctor of Ministry program at Asbury Seminary, and has taught occasional semesters of graduate credit courses in Asbury Seminary’s ExL program on the internet.
With his wife Robbie the Joys have launched two sons. They are surrounded by six adult grandchildren. Three great-grandsons may be found in their home often while the boys’ parents pursue graduate degrees and careers.