Discussion Thread: How Do They Fit?
a a a a In his book Psychology and Christianity: Five Views, Johnson (2010) presents
different perspectives on the connection between psychology and the Christian
faith. Some suggest that faith and learning pertain to conflicting scopes of
practice and knowledge (Esqueda, 2014). Conflict and disputes to rule the best
practice become unavoidable with the various existing traditions, beliefs,
backgrounds, and standards (Johnson, 2010). Individuals educated in both fields
are credited as the most qualified persons to debate potential oppositions
(Johnson, 2010).
It is important to remember that, despite the different means, both Christianity
and psychology have as their primary goal the search for truth. While theology-
based views seek truth through revelation, psychology seeks truth through
observation (Johnson, 2010).
a a a a Johnson (2010) explains five relationship viewpoints between Christianity and
psychology, including a level-of-explanation, intervention, Christian psychology,
transformational psychology, and biblical counseling. I choose to approach
psychological sciences through a level-of-explanation view in an attempt to
diminish personal bias from all research interpretations. Science and research are
the sources of knowledge in this view, where humans are best understood via a
hierarchy of disciplines, and theology should not impact the other domains
(Johnson, 2010).
a a a a However, regardless of my option to separate Christianity and science, if God
is the author behind all truth, science-based findings merely reflect his authorship
and, therefore, his truth. With that in mind, I am careful to make suggestions on
how modern psychology should fit in the church, and vice versa, due to the need
for human interpretation in both areas, scientific findings, and the Scripture. How
often don’t we see the same verse interpreted differently by church leaders? How
often don’t we see research conclusions questioned by different researchers? I
don’t have a strong suggestion on how to integrate church and modern
psychology. My only belief in this matter is that we find our best interpretation of
the information provided to us and use it according to our epistemology.
a a a a I don’t believe there is a right or wrong alternative when selecting our
approaches, only personal preferences. Our different backgrounds and life
experiences will dictate the selection of the idea that most appeals to us. It is
essential for professionals to respect each other’s opinions and debate them
respectfully and politely. Counseling professionals could benefit from recognizing
the limitations of each method and working together with professionals with
various views to address the individual’s needs fully and better serve the
community at large.
a a a a An important topic to be remembered is that the common goal of all five
views is the search for truth and understanding and improving human lives. At the
same time, different people and personalities will be attracted and sympathize
with different perspectives. It is essential and valuable to offer society a variety of
resources they can choose from to help them with their psychological and
spiritual needs.
References
Esqueda, O. J. (2014). Biblical worldview: The Christian higher education
foundation for learning. Christian Higher Education, 13(2), 91-100. https://www.doi-
org/10.1080/15363759.2014.872495
Johnson, E. L. (2010). Psychology and Christianity: Five views (2nd ed.). IVP
Academic.
