b 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scriptures are outdated, invalid and irrelevant. b 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.
b b b b 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).
b b b 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).
b b b 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.
