In processing a deeper understanding of Christianity, we look no further than
the Bible and the scriptures that have been spoken by God. We understand
that a Biblical Worldview are the beliefs about things, (Wolters, p. 2). When we
talk about things, we talk about everything, whereas when we refer to truth we
have to understand Epistemology which is the study of knowledge and truth.
This differs from psychology where truth and knowledge comes from ancestral
philosophers and what observations have been made as they process, support
and refute past theories.
What are the goals of psychology and Christianity? One can make the claim
that the goal is to get as many followers as possible to promote the ideation of
thought based on the Scriptures of God or the theories of Philosophers. Others
can make the claim that the goal is the same, to find the meaning of truth and
knowledge. It is this truth that ultimately controls the way that people think, act
and feel in all decision making.
Psychology puts us in a position to better understand empiricism and finding
truth from facts and data to make the most conscious decisions in all aspects
of life. As time evolves, some chose to believe that that teaching of the Bible
will repeat and are cyclical but psychology says that circumstances evolve over
time and are supposed to be changed based on internal and external validity.
As we evaluate the true nature of modern psychology and ask where it fits in
the church, we can make a claim that there is no connection between the two
because they contradict each other. On the other hand, does church fit into
modern psychology because the Bible is the source of all psychological
theories?
As we evaluate the coexistence of psychology as a science and Christianity
and how they fit together we have to be reminded back to the how Wolters
(2005), defines worldview, “the comprehensive framework of one’s basic belief
about things.” We can agree that we all have beliefs in things because that is
how we derive on what to do about things. We know that opinions are different
than beliefs because everyone can have an opinion based on what they heard,
read, repeated or seen but a belief is about conviction and what you are willing
to put your name behind. In our readings from class and from the Bible we
can see that all things were created from God and life as we know it that we
are living in is a result from what God created, “In the beginnings God created
the Heavens and the Earth”, (Bible, 2010). However, based on the way that we
act due to circumstances that are presented in everyday life can be learned
from psychology. Science tells us that if we repeat behaviors adding or
removing variables and control, we can manipulate situations to better
understand our environment.
I believe that Psychology and Christianity fit together as a cause and effect. I
can say that the Bible has provided a framework as to existence but
psychology is what we do with our existence.
References
Wolters, A. M. (2005). Creation regained: Biblical basics for a reformational
worldview. William B. Eerdmans Pub.
Trinitarian Bible Society. (2010). genesis. In The holy bible: Containing the old
and new testaments. essay.
