a I believe that the science of modern psychology and Christianity fit together and
complement each other. When we consider the question of where psychology and
Christianity get their truth and knowledge from, as a doctoral student I know that
psychologists are social scientists who practice the scientific method to obtain
truth (s). For example, psychologists make observations, then they ask questions.
Next, they form a hypothesis and then conduct an experiment. After that they
collect data and share their results with others. Christians, on the other hand get
their truth from the scriptures which are God’s word. A Christian’s worldview is
strictly shaped by her/his reading of the scriptures. Relatedly, Christian reformer
John Calvin wrote, "All truth is from God," and St Augustine wrote, “All truth is
God’s truth.” When we come to understand what this means, we see that while
psychology may seem to get its truth from the scientific method, the truth which
is revealed in this process was God’s truth all along, not mankind’s truth. Within
psychology unfortunately, blasphemous secularism is at work trying to separate
Christians from God’s truth by making them think that the scriptures are outdated,
invalid and irrelevant. a Importantly, it seems to me that God’s truth is correlated
with God’s law. As per Wolters (2005), when men and women subject themselves
to God’s law it enables them to be free; however, blasphemous humanism looks
upon God’s law as bondage.
a a a a a a Christianity and psychology seem to share similar goals. For example, while
psychologists use their extensive knowledge of human nature and the mental
health disorders found in the DSM 5 to help their clients’ overcome obstacles and
live their best lives, Christian clerics, lay-people, and pastors use their extensive
knowledge of human nature and the Bible to help people to overcome and live
their best lives. It seems moreover, that most researchers consider the concepts
of religion and spirituality as being related, with religion enlarged to include
spirituality. At any rate, it seems that an increase in a client’s religiosity/spirituality
has been shown to improve their mental health. Koenig (2018) found that among
people who receive mental health services, increased religiosity/spirituality are
usually associated with positive outcomes. Importantly, research has determined
that there is relationship between religiosity/spirituality and good mental health.
For example, immediately after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001,
Schuster et al., (2001) interviewed a nationally representative sample of 560 adult
Americans to assess their stress symptoms. The researchers report that nine out
ten American adults were experiencing at least one symptom of stress.
Importantly, most study participants reported turning to Biblical scripture to relieve
their stress (Schuster et al., 2001).
a a a a In the United States, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death overall, and
the second leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 34 (NIMH, 2021). In a
longitudinal study, Rasic et al., (2011) found that among all participants (N =
1091) greater religiosity/spirituality was associated with less mental health
problems, less suicide attempts and less drug and alcohol abuse. Participants
who sought to increase their spirituality from baseline levels had a significantly
decreased risk of suicidality when compared to participants who did not seek to
become more spiritual (Rasic et al., 2011).
a a a a When a psychological study suggests a finding that opposes the Bible, as
social scientists who are Christian soldiers, we should look at scripture as
discussing a relative phase or event in history. While the scripture’s message may
seem dated and no longer relative, in the big picture the message is relative and
valid because it is has become normed over time (Wolters, 2005). Therefore, it is
our duty as Christians to always give priority to what the Bible is saying. Towards
this end, while modern psychology fits in the church as a way-shower, and a
means by which we can help God’s children, the information we glean from it
must not be considered more accurate than what the scriptures are saying.
References
Koenig, H. G. (2018). General applications in clinical practice. Religion and Mental
Health, 227–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-811282-3.00010-0
NIMH. (2021). Suicide. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved April 10,
2022, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide#:
Rasic, D., Robinson, J. A., Bolton, J., Bienvenu, O. J., & Sareen, J. (2011).
Longitudinal relationships of religious worship attendance and spirituality with
major depression, anxiety disorders, and suicidal ideation and attempts: Findings
from the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study. Journal of Psychiatric
Research, 45(6), 848–854. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.11.014
Schuster, M. A., Stein, B. D., Jaycox, L. H., Collins, R. L., Marshall, G. N., Elliott, M.
N., Zhou, A. J., Kanouse, D. E., Morrison, J. L., & Berry, S. H. (2001). A national
survey of stress reactions after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. New
England Journal of Medicine, 345(20), 1507–1512.
https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm200111153452024
Wolters, A. M. (2005). Creation regained: Biblical basics for a reformational
worldview. William B. Eerdmans Pub.
