Running Head: THINKING DEEPER a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
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Thinking Deeper Part 2 – Psychology and Christianity Tension
PSYC710
June 4, 2022
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Introduction
The psychology and Christianity disciplines are known to share a complex association
with one another. There have been conflicting points of view which have led to tension between
both the fields for a long time. Many followers of Christianity consider psychology to be bad
because it serves as a path that deviates them away from the path of God. In the paper, emphasis
has been laid on appropriate scriptural, philosophical, and scientific resources for the purpose of
exploring why tension exists between Christianity and psychology. After evaluating the reasons,
a probable solution has been recommended that can help to ease the tension between the two
disciplines.
Discussion of the issue
Even though both psychology and Christianity focus on the well-being of mankind, there
exists significant tension between these fields, which cannot be negated. One of the main
reasons that lead to tension is the difference in terms of approaches that are adopted to meet
human needs. While both the disciplines share the goal of meeting human needs relating to
mental wellness, handling stress, emotional well-being, etc., they approach these issues
differently, which ultimately leads to conflicts. While psychologists focus on the application of
scientific methods to comprehend and address the issues that human beings face, Christians rely
on God, Christianity, and Biblical principles to get rid of their problems. According to the holy
book of the Bible, Christians are expected to have faith in God, and they must use prayer as the
ultimate tool to heal. James 5:14-16 states, ‘Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of
the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.’ It shows that
Christians completely surrender themselves to the Almighty so that their problems and issues
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can be resolved. Curlin has argued that when psychologists make recommendations relating to
mental health that conflict with a person’s spiritual beliefs, it is likely to cause mistrust
(Sandage & Brown, 2018). Thus, the individual might have to show preference to one discipline
over the other, escalating the tension between these disciplines.
Another reason for tension between Christianity and psychology is the conflicting views
that they have relating to what is considered to be true knowledge. Both the disciplines make
attempts to search for and obtain true knowledge. Even though their destination is the same,
they adopt varying paths to reach it. In other words, in order to seek the ultimate truth, both
Christianity and psychology adopt different approaches. Psychologists believe that science acts
as the chief source of truth, and they carry out research activities to gather insightful data and
information. On the other hand, Christians have the point of view that the Scriptures house the
ultimate truth. Bible is considered to be the ultimate storehouse of truth since it contains the
word of the Almighty (Sullivan et al., 2014). When someone is in search of truth, he or she is
expected to reach out to the Bible so that he can get proper guidance. Unlike Christians,
psychologists rely on academics and research activities to uncover truth. They focus on
empirical observation and fact-based findings to acquire knowledge on a specific subject.
Psychologists use the scientific lens, and according to them, knowledge can be considered to be
valid only if it can be measured. They do not support knowledge that is based on blind faith.
They further claim that blind faith in the contents of the Bible is not sufficient to acquire true
knowledge. However, Christians utilize Bible as the main source of knowledge, and they base
their knowledge and findings on the Holy book alone. Another source that they also rely on to
uncover true knowledge is Christian traditions. The followers of Christianity have the belief that
the entire world and all of its creation came into existence by the words of the Almighty, which
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can be found in the Bible. As Bible contains truth in its entirety, it must be used as the ultimate
standard of life as well as a key reference to all the creations in the world. Since there exists a
considerable degree of variance between psychology and Christianity relating to true
knowledge, the tension between these fields gets magnified. a
Another reason that leads to tension between Christianity and psychology is that both the
fields consider different elements as the central object of the study. Curlin has pointed out that
the psychology discipline emphasizes the study of the human mind, whereas Christianity
revolves around the study of God. Christians believe that human beings were created by the
Almighty in his image and there exists an interlink between the soul and the spirit. On the basis
of this belief, it is considered that the needs of human beings can be met spiritually by taking
measures such as fasting, praying, and participating in biblical studies and revelations.
Furthermore, it is believed that human beings can be understood in a better way by studying
God (Sandage & Brown, 2018). Both psychology and Christianity have diverse views when it
comes to ascertaining the relationship between the soul and the spirit. Kemp has argued that for
understanding the tension between both areas, it is vital to focus on the etymological roots.
While Christianity lays emphasis on the soul as well as spirit, psychology is considered to be a
field that is without a soul. The tension between these areas is nothing new. On the contrary, the
differences between these fields have existed since time immemorial, and they can be explored
by focusing on historical anthropological debates that shed light on the association between the
spirit and the soul (Kemp, 1982). a On the other hand, psychologists base their understanding on
science and research studies. They rely on factual information to arrive at any kind of findings.
Due to the difference that exists between both the disciplines in terms of focus, tension arises
between them, leading to conflicting views between Christians and psychologists.
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Christians believe that the Bible serves as the ultimate guide that can help members of
the human race to deal with their spiritual as well as psychological needs. On the other hand,
psychologists do not rely on God and his power. They believe that all the issues that human
beings encounter relating to their psychological and spiritual aspects can be cured by mankind
itself. Thus, they believe that human beings themselves have the power to address their needs,
and they do not need to rely on any other power that does not have a scientific existence. Since
psychologists do not believe in God and his power a major difference arises between both the
fields. Such contradictory perspectives lead to tension between both the fields and increase the
gap between psychologists and the followers of Christianity.
According to Curlin, by adopting a coordinated spiritual and mental healthcare approach, it is
possible to offer holistic treatment to individuals and fulfill their fundamental needs. Such an
approach can be adopted only by minimizing the tension that exists between psychology and
Christianity and ensuring that there exists a proper alignment between both disciplines. It is time
to address the issues that exist between both the fields and arrive at a common ground where the
points of view of both Christians as well psychologists can be respected and given due
importance. Such an approach is crucial to reducing conflicts and creating better value for
human beings by meeting their diverse needs. There is an opportunity for mental health workers
to focus not just on the psychological health of individuals but also on their spiritual wellness.
By adopting such an integrated approach, it will be possible to handle the different needs of the
clients and extend support to them at diverse levels. Similarly, the followers of Christianity can
derive value from the psychology discipline by adopting appropriate approaches to deal with
mental health problems. The fusion of both disciplines is vital to meet human needs
comprehensively. Both Christians and psychologies need to come forward and keep their
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differences aside so that they can work together and create value for individuals by meeting
their specific needs. It is vital to ensure that the different perspectives are respected so that they
will not give rise to further conflicts. a
Conclusion
The reasons that have been identified that lead to tension between psychology and
Christianity show that even though both the disciplines focus on diverse human needs, the
approach that is adopted by them is drastically different. While Christians give the highest
regard to the Almighty, psychologists do not take into consideration God and his power. They
try to look for the ultimate truth and knowledge only by adopting scientific approaches.
Psychologists believe that human beings have the power to address the issues of fellow
individuals without relying on any other power. This contradicts the views of Christians who
entirely rely on the power of the Almighty to address their problems.
I believe that the tension between both disciplines can be minimized by integrating
psychological truth into Biblical truth. IT is necessary to identify a common ground where the
views of both the disciplines are respected and taken into consideration so that a common
foundation of knowledge can be established. Due to the conflicting views that exist in these
disciplines, individuals have no choice but to choose one field over the other. For instance, if
they follow psychology, it shows that they do not have faith in the Almighty and his power to
address their problems. On the other hand, if individuals follow the principles of Christianity,
they have to forgo scientific methods to heal and address their specific problems. By making a
choice between the two disciplines, the tension between psychology and Christianity increases,
and the gap between them gets broadened. In order to address the problem at the holistic level,
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it is essential to combine the beliefs of both disciplines so that individuals will have an
opportunity to accept both fields instead of choosing only one. The combination of Biblical
elements with psychological elements can make sure that comprehensive knowledge is in place
which focuses on addressing the needs of human beings in an integrated manner. Both
Christians and psychologists need to broaden their outlook so that they can derive value from
both the fields.
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References
Kemp, H. V. (1982). The tension between psychology and theology: The etymological roots.
Journal of Psychology and Theology, 10(2), 105-112.
Sandage, S. J., & Brown, J. K. (2018). Relational integration of psychology and Christian
theology: Theory, research, and practice. Routledge.
