I believe that there exists an alignment between modern psychology and
Christianity since both the disciplines revolve around the intrinsic value of human
beings. According to both the fields, humans are considered to be naturally
spiritual beings who depend on the Almighty for everything in their life. In the
context of Christianity, the holy book of the Bible is used as the ultimate
instrument to make righteous choices and decisions. On the other hand, in
psychology, philosophies relating to therapeutic relationships play a key role in
making important decisions (Luborsky et al., 1993). The ultimate outcome of all
the decisions is to validate the standards and respect since both the domains
ensure that humans follow the righteous path and avoid the wrong path in life.
Both Christianity and psychology give free will to individuals, and they have to
liberty to choose between right and wrong. The natural law relating to destructive
behavior is applied in both the areas and wrongful actions are discouraged in the
community setting.
In the area of Christianity, high emphasis is laid on the righteous way of living as
well as non -separation from God. God plays a central role, and it is considered to
be a sin if an individual distances themselves from Him. In the context of
psychology, alienation from God is generally regarded to be an unacceptable kind
of illness. It is considered to be something that is not acceptable because when
one distances himself from the Almighty, he is also deviating from the law of
nature, which could ultimately lead to serious consequences and repercussions. It
is considered that alienation from the Almighty can give rise to a diverse range of
issues in the social context and give rise to guilt in individuals along with poor
relationships with others. When one gets alienated from the ultimate source of
creation, i.e., God, there arises the problem of irrational decisions and disordered
thoughts and perceptions (Gellman, 2016). It can increase the vulnerability of
individuals and lead to adverse consequences in life. For example, individuals fear
the rage of God and try to follow the word of the Lord that is written in the Bible
to follow the righteous path. It is stated in Psalm 23:3, ‘He restoreth my soul, He
guideth me in straight paths for His name’s sake.’ It assists people to avoid
straying from the right path and differentiate good from the bad.
References
Gellman, R. M. (2016, March 18). Turn to god, the Shepherd, to find your righteous
path. Star. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from
https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/life/faith/2016/03/18/turn-god-shepherd-find-
righteous-path/81964348/
Luborsky, L., Diguer, L., Luborsky, E., McLellan, A.T., Woody, G. and Alexander, L.,
1993. Psychological health-sickness (PHS) as a predictor of outcomes in dynamic
and other psychotherapies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61(4),
p.542.
