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Introduction
Through generations psychology and the Christian faith have been
opposed to each other. Both sides thought that they were correct in their
own views. When science began to evolve people started to see a
relationship between the two fields of psychology and Christianity.
Understanding human behavior takes both of the foundations to be able to
properly assess the clients and practice in the field of psychology. For
example, when a counselor is helping a client through a mental crisis
psychology has different treatments to help them through the difficult time.
However, if Christianity is included in the methodology by using spiritual
guidance within the treatment process. Another reason psychology and
Christianity’s relationship is important is because one is able to discern what
is morally right. Having a Christian faith in the field of psychology allows for
psychologists to know that the mental struggle the individuals are going
through is because it’s the result of the fall. It gives counselors the ability to
have grace when the clients as well. They both help support one another but
hold separate resources for their research. Christians can properly discern
and apply truth in the field of psychology. The model that displays the
relationship between the two categories best is the Allies model.
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Methods of Knowing
According to Entwistle, there are different methods of knowing. They
consist of logic, empiricism, revelation, and Hermeneutics (Entwistle, 2015).
Logic is using reason to separate facts. One will be able to discern what is to
be believed based on the information given to them at that time. This is
important to integrate into today's society because so much is put out in the
world it is important to be able to discern what is right to follow and what is
wrong. Empirical knowing is classified as knowing through experiences that
were endured. Looking at this method, it is highly used even today. The
majority of people go through experiences and learn valuable lessons that
benefit them in the future. For example, if a baby puts its finger in an
electrical socket and gets shocked they learn ultimately not to put their
finger back into the socket or they will experience the same ending. Looking
at Revelation, it’s the purpose of humankind and being aware of their
spirituality. God has a plan for all his children. The Bible is used to guide
Christians on the righteous road to salvation. Incorporating God and the Bible
into one's purpose gives them the capability to live a life full of fruits.
Hermeneutics is the understanding or someone’s interpretation of a message
(Entwistle, 2015). Many Christians interpret God's word in different ways. For
example, some Christians believe that in the end times, God's children will
be raptured up with the church while others believe they will be here on
earth during the reign of Satan. Scripture is unique and displays a message
that connects with people differently. The methods of knowing are all
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possible through God. He is the one who helps guide everyone and gives the
tools to push his children in the right direction towards him.
Model
The Allies model is used to display the importance of how God's grace
is displayed. Truth can only be seen through trust in God because he is the
truth. The Model even shares the need for “Unity of Truth.” The truth that
people receive is from God himself (Entwistle, 2015). The Allies model
integrates both theological aspects and psychological aspects together with
the view God is power. As followers of Christ, the model expresses that all
wisdom and knowledge should come from God himself. God is the one that
unifies us together. The model shows that psychology is made up of
understanding human behavior through treatment and tests. Within the field
of Christianity understanding human behavior is done by examining
scripture. Both integrate to thrive to help people in the clinical field. Within
the model, it addresses the importance of ethical discernment. Both fields
care about helping others and lifting each other up. They both have mutual
respect and help promote each other in teaching. The model emphasizes
that human error is found, Christ is the ultimate creator, and the purpose of
humankind is found through God (Entwistle, 2015). The Allies model shares
that both psychology and Christianity both come down to a common ground
that God is sovereign and his way is the right way.
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Two Books
The two books that are displayed are known as “God's works” and
“God’s Word.” The books reveal God's truth in a way that can be understood.
The Allies model views the book God's works through psychology and views
God's words through scripture. Both books are full of knowledge, but it is
important to integrate both teachings. The books are used to understand the
relationship between the two foundations. To better understand the two
books it could be beneficial to incorporate the four methods of knowing. It
can allow for a better understanding to be displayed to the reader. It can
help discern what parts are to be taken into consideration and what should
be disregarded.
Strengths
The Allies model displays many strengths. A strength that can be
exhibited is the model favors God. The model does not allow psychology to
overpower the will of God. They model also for further research to be done in
the two areas of psychology and Christianity. Another strength that is shown
is that the model allows for both views to have their own opinions and still
expresses how they relate in ways to benefit each other. The model also
pushes for well-being between both models. The model also seeks scripture
when discerning information is being displayed. Allies also believe that
psychology is found in Christianity which just shows how high faith is viewed.
Another strength is that it allows for the application taken from the model to
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be used in counseling settings. Counselors can take the psychology and
Christianity frameworks and use them to provide valuable feedback to the
client. The model provides ways that the information learned can be
incorporated into life. The Allies model is open-minded and allows the ability
to look at situations from all angles.
Limitations
Like all models the Allies model has weaknesses. A weakness that is
presented within the model is that there is no fine line between the two
foundations. We know that psychology and Christianity can be integrated but
there are times when their views do not align with each other. There is also a
limitation in research between them. There is not much research conducted
showing that integrating the two views together helps in the counseling
setting. There is also no way of knowing how to integrate Christian
approaches within the field of psychology. People who are not Christians
oppose the view of integrating the two views together. When going into the
field of psychology this model could be challenging to use because the world
is so secular. The model can be especially limiting to someone who does not
uphold the same values as a religious person. Another limitation that is
shown is that it can be seen as biased to some people. Considering the
model expresses that the view of the model is to serve God some people can
choose to eliminate the credibility of the model based on the overlying view.
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Conclusion
The Allies model is overall the best model that displays the
integrations between psychology and Christianity. It shows that God is the
most sovereign and through him we are unified. It helped to show that
psychology and Christianity can both be used together in the counseling field
to help others with their mental state. The view
References
Entwistle DN (David N.HIntegrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity :
An Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations, and Models of
Integration / David N. Entwistle.HThird edition. Cascade Books; 2015.
Johnson, E. L., & Jones, S. L. (Eds.). (2000).Psychology & Christianity: Four views.InterVarsity
Press.
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