Week 4 Five Views Paper
Five Views Paper
Week 4
Erica Handy
Liberty University
Psychology and Christianity have been in questioned for many years, secular
psychologist and Christian psychologist have been arguing their points about which truths are
best when getting mental help from a mental breakdown. Both types of psychologists want the
world to have a clear understanding about the relationships between psychology and Christianity.
Johnson wrote a book that describes the five views which are levels-of-explanation, integration,
Christian psychology, transformational psychology, and biblical counseling. Also, he has
different authors in the book to write from their perspectives on how Christians should practice
psychology. The purpose of this paper will be to describe how each of the five views covers the
five issues that perceives the viewpoints.
The levels-of-explanation approach is the most open to opinions of the five views. The
approach delivers that psychology is a science. The approach is no different than any other
sciences. The viewpoints of the approach address the biological aspects of psychology. The
integration approach refers to the fact that the meanings of the biblical scriptures are the truths. It
combines what psychologist know about the bible and relates it to human behavior that is
portrayed in the world (Johnson, 2010). A lot of Christian psychologists take this approach
because they use what they know about sin as it regards to psychological theories to force their
style of training. The next approach is the Christian psychology approach and it is very confusing
because not all Christian psychologist align themselves up to the approach, some of them take
heed to other approaches which allows for this approach to be criticized often, which makes its
practical application to be questioned. The approach then becomes merely a notion to Christian
psychologists. The fourth view is the transformational psychology approach. This approach
compares the early day psychologist to the Old Testament in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (Johnson,
2010). The approach points out that a Christian psychologist should help others by the wisdom
that they are given from the Holy Spirit. Since most of the world still does not understand the
works of the Holy Spirit, the approach is criticized and lacks the practical application of real
truths in psychology. The Biblical Counseling approach is the last view and it focuses on the
gospel. The approach’s belief is that human behavior should be helped by focusing on Christ and
not based on psychological theories (Johnson, 2010). Since we have received forgiveness
through Christ than we should focus more on the greatest give of God eternal life and learn to
love others the way Christ has loved us. Moreover, secular human behavior will have no style of
counselling and will not agree with the ways of the approach, so this approach will also be highly
criticized in the field.
It becomes very tough mentally to figure out the truths that come from man therefore it is
evident that information perceived from a psychologist is clear, especially a Christian
psychologist. Everyone wants to know from each style of training, where is it coming from so
that they can understand how to perceive help from a psychologist. The levels-of-explanation
approach obtains its views from a biblical theory, but it does challenge some traditional teachings
of the Church. In the book (Johnson, 2010) writers that “Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins, who
believe that Christianity is a mentally evil virus. They recommend many natural biblical
teachings regarding the human behavior, arguing that biblical beliefs about the soul were not
necessary, mislead psychological truths and that these beliefs are not real as many early beliefs
about physiology, and so on, which are should be replaced by greater knowledge and or scientific
views” (Johnson, 2010). For example, someone’s faith does not drive a clinical practice nor does
it decides one’s faith but in the Bible it tells us that we are created in God’s image while science
gives an explanation of how we developed from our ancestors. Since faith and science answers
similar questions differently, the inconsistency leaves no overlap which strongly suggest no
contradiction in this view of integration. Integration is similar to levels of explanation because it
combines with psychology and someone’s belief together rather than having them to attempt to
go on their own truths (Johnson, 2010). Although faith and psychology are combined,
psychology has its unique understanding to imply that it is necessary. All truth is God’s truth, but
Christian psychologist must be careful not to integrate secular views with Godly views. The
Bible says that humans are made in God’s image, which fills into the most recent psychology
therefore a secular viewpoint can be pointed out so that no one is left blind in faith. Christian
psychology somewhat like Integration however it takes more of a beforehand approach by
referencing to how Christians should begin with Christian values and then presume on that level
to explore findings that comes from experiences rather than theory (Johnson, 2010).
Furthermore, faith gives facts to science rather than science giving facts to faith. Researcher use
their faith to see their perspective of findings, so human behavior will be diagnosed from their
view that possibly could come from a secular or religious view. Likewise, this approach could
begin with Christian values that were taught throughout the tradition of Christianity but then it
could end up integrating into science to achieve the goals of values in psychology. Biblical
counseling does not relate to the integration view. This view does not see faith and psychology as
being separate and does not see the views as needed to be put together. The Christian
psychological stands alone. The Christian psychology approach identifies claims of humans,
explains human nature, describe human behavior, and implies what a complete healthy human is
in Jesus Christ (Johnson, 2010). The approach argues that we should be born again in Christ and
that should be what we seek in times of trouble.
Transformational psychology approach does relate closely to the Biblical Counseling
approach, but it does not leave out the concerns regarding the approach’s findings. Although
Christian psychologist would argue that science can operate alone in faith, the goal in this
approach would be to combine science and faith because they are seen as separate interties
(Johnson, 2010). The transformational psychology approach wants to bring together science and
faith in regard to changing the client and the practitioner. This would allow the focus to be on
God, the word of God, the Holy Spirit, and the traditional Christian values.
In conclusion, these approaches have similarities, differences, and many years of
arguments. The approach that Jesus took met the needs for us all. Jesus used the Holy Spirit to
guide him and it is evident based on the Bible that it would best for the world to take the same
approach, so that our emotional needs would not be guided by the teachings of the world. In the
Bible it says that “If the root is bad, then the tree has to be bad” (Matt. 14:16-18, King James
Version), also Jesus said this very plainly in Matthew 7:17-18. Science in psychology would
believe that Christianity does not offer the same answers to the world’s problems therefore it
should not be related to psychology, it stresses the point that if it was to stand on the words of
God in the Bible than people would not have to go to church to get help because nowadays the
world had shown so much in church that it is hard to tell it apart. Furthermore, if people do not
receive the Gospel than they must receive some form of counseling, which is why the
understanding about the relationship between psychology and Christianity should be clear so that
each approach can help the people who are stuck mentally between the truths of each aspect in
the field.
References
Johnson, E. (2010). Psychology and Christianity: Five views (2nd ed.). Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press. ISBN: 9780830828487.
The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online, 2019.
www.kingjamesbibleonline.org
