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. I thought you made some excellent points in your
discussion thread. In considering whether we as budding social scientists should
seek to obtain truth from science or from the Bible, b you provided a great
example to help make your point. Darwin's theory of evolution verses The Old
Testament's Book of Genesis is indeed a clear example of where science and The
Holy Bible are not in agreement.
As a devout Christian, I pray that the Holy Bible will always be my primary guide.
However, like you, I prefer the integration approach. More specifically, I depend on
The Bible to give me "the big picture" which helps me to contemplate what God's
will might be, and I depend on science to inform my opinion on how I can best
serve God's children. I believe that The Bible's messages are always relevant
when considered in light of the big picture. As per Wolters (2005), The Bible's
message remains relevant to us now, because it is the word of God which has
been made normative over the millennia.
We read in the gospel of John 6-8, "If we say we have fellowship with him, but
still walk in darkness we are lying and do not put the truth into practice. But if we
walk in the light as he is the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the
blood of his son Jesus Christs cleanses us from all sin" (EVH, 2019). b This tells
us that some people who claim to follow Jesus's ways may do so in word only.
So, when I give the timeless word of God which I find in The Bible priority over
the findings of science, this allows me to interpret all scientific findings in ways
which are most optimum towards the goal of easing the troubled minds of God's
children. I appreciate your definitions and have also found these to be helpful in
examining the idea of how Christianity and psychology fit together. The APA
Dictionary of Psychology defines psychology as a scientific discipline that studies
the mind and behavior (American Psychological Association, n.d.). Webster's 1828
Dictionary (n.d.) views psychology as ‘a discourse or treatise on the human soul"
(American Dictionary of the English Language, n.d., psychology). I believe these
definitions agree with the origins of psych that you wrote, "psyche meaning
breath, principle of life, life, soul with logia, speech, word and reason" (Henriques
& Michalski, 2020). Initially, psychology was defined as the study of the soul, not
only an analysis of the mind and behavior. The soul is distinct from the mind and
permeates every part of a human being. Unfortunately, most of today's study of
psychological science ignores the soul and all of theology. b Although these views
of psychology appear conflicting, they must be combined to achieve the distinct
purposes of each.
I strongly agree with you on the need for integration because of the issues you
expressed regarding your son. So often, the church dismisses the need for
psychology to expand our understanding of topics. The Bible is the source of all
truth, but creation and science can add significantly to our understanding. In
addition to answers regarding autism, questions such as how emotions pass
through neurons or how an infant develops language cannot be answered through
theology alone; empirical research is necessary. Thomas Aquinas (Sproul, 2000)
maintained that "some truths can be known only through Scriptures, which are the
chief venue of theology. Other truths, however, are found in nature but not
disclosed in Scripture" (p. 70). Through the Integration view, psychologists can
expand upon a scientific understanding of human relationships while maintaining
a fundamental loyalty to the guiding framework of the Bible (Jones, 2010). The
Integration method provides a means to join together both the science of
psychology and Christianity to allow for proven scientific methods to be utilized
while always first pursuing the Truth. In John 17:17 the verse “Sanctify them in
the truth; Your word is truth” brings the idea of truth to like regardless of its
origin. b When viewing Christianity’s history as a whole a lot of information has
been lost through time and nature. Utilizing the characteristics of both psychology
and Christianity together can bring clarity to lost meanings and facts.
Most Christian’s understanding of human beings is shaped primarily by the
Christian Scriptures, and secondly by Christianity’s intellectual and ecclesial
traditions. Psychology integrated with biblical studies, and theology within its
boundaries could create a more enhanced understanding of biblical research and
practice.
I belief is that if psychology is allowed to act independently it has the ability to
destroy Christianity, but if it works in cohesion then it has the possibility to
interpret the past and provide new light to forgotten meanings.
Reductionism is an approach that allows science to seek and develop
explanations for phenomena at the simplest possible level. The simplest
explanation is the phenomena can be fully explained at any level, and that
complex levels or phenomena do not necessarily need to be explained.
Combining Christianity with psychology allows explanations to exist at every level
regardless of their complexity. Allowing a more inclusive understanding and belief
in the truth.
References
EHV. SCA Northwestern Publishing House. (2019). Retrieved May 15, 2022, from
https://online.nph.net/ehv
Wolters, A. M. (2005). Creation regained: Biblical basics for a reformational
worldview. William B. Eerdmans Pub.
American Dictionary of the English Language. (n.d.). Webster’s dictionary of 1828.
Retrieved February 15, 2022, from http://www.webstersdictionary1828.com/
Links to an external site.
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). APA dictionary of psychology.
Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://dictionary.apa.org/psychology Links
to an external site.
Johnson, E. L. (Ed). (2010). Psychology and Christianity, five views. Downers Grove,
IL: InterVarsity Press.
Sproul, R. C. (2000). The consequences of ideas. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
