In Revelation 22:13, Jesus declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and
the last, the beginning and the end” (English Standard Version, 2022). The gospel
is the center of the Biblical narrative. God’s kingdom has come, and at the same
time, God is renewing all of creation in the work of Christ by the Holy Spirit. As
believers, the gospel is all of life from beginning to end and everything in between.
Therefore, the gospel message matters to my research area of social psychology
because it matters to all of life.
In Creation Regained, Wolters (2005) states that the Christian church must
interpret the world through a gospel lens. This calling means that we must make
His kingdom known in every department of life. a Today we live in an “overlap of
the ages in which the powers of evil continue to exist with the healing and
renewing power of the age to come” (Wolters, 2005, p. 133). Instead of
withdrawing from culture and science, Christians must renounce separatist
positions. When Christians abandon the culture and withdraw from engaging in
social issues, culture is propelled toward evil and away from God. Then, the
secularization of society increases.
The retreat from engagement with society, particularly in the scientific and
academic realms, has minimized Christianity's influence in all areas of life. Even
the church's ability to participate in soul care is diminished. a The inward focus of
the church frees the world to pursue its idolatry and worldly desires. To address
the current needs of culture, the significance of the teaching of Scripture must be
of utmost importance in our work and lives. Our influence must impact the field of
psychology.
Wolters (2005) states, “Everything is part of God’s creation, everything has been
touched by sins destructive power, and everything can participate in the renewing
work of God in Christ and by the Spirit” (Wolters, 2005, p. 142). As psychologists,
we have the privilege of participating in God’s work of creation. Faith must be
declared in every aspect of our lives. As C. S. Lewis once said, “We do not need
more Christian books; we need more books by Christians about everything with
Christian values built in.” (Myers, 2010, p. 181). a The good of creation is never
wholly obliterated for any human person. However, disengagement with the culture
prevents Christian psychologists from reaching individuals outside the church and
affecting the culture.
The tension between psychology and Christianity provides unique opportunities to
impact our culture for Christ. Wolters (2005) states, “The biblical story and the
competing cultural story are at odds and yet “meet” in the life of the people of
God. The deeper the consciousness of this tension is, and the willingness to take
this tension on itself, the healthier the church is” (p. 137). Psychologists must
achieve these goals without compromising the gospel. We must be, as Stanton
Jones (2010) states, “in the thick of psychology, contributing their ideas, submitting
their hypotheses and theories to the test” (p. 115). This tension makes us aware
of false teachings and inaccuracies so that we can stand for biblical truth and
influence how the subject matter is viewed. The contradictions of science draw us
to address the issues (Jones, 2010). We can live out our calling by standing for
biblical truth instead of retreating.
Myers (2010) succinctly states the words of Reformed philosopher Nicholas
Wolterstorff to necessitate the importance of Christians’ fully participating in
academia as Christian psychologists. Believers are urged “to occupy the academy
as a Christian who sees the world in the light of the gospel, but occupy it also as
a psychologist, not as one who surveys the scene from outside and now and then
makes some clucking noises, but as one who participates in the nitty-gritty of
actual psychological explorations. Do not just be a critic. Be a creative initiator,
faithful in your thinking as in your doing the gospel of Jesus Christ” (Myers, 2010,
p. 181). We can effectively share the gospel in our work only through participation
from a biblical perspective. God has graciously provided the tension to increase
our opportunities to impact the world for Christ. I pray that we all can live out this
tension in a manner that brings glory to God and moves individuals closer to our
Creator and the good of His creation.
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References
English Standard Version. (2022). Crossway. Retrieved from Esv.org
Jones, S. L. (2010). An integration view. In Johnson, E. L. (Ed.), Psychology and
Christianity, five views (pp. 101-128). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Myers, D. G. (2010). A levels of explanation response to Christian psychology. In
Johnson, E. L. (Ed.), Psychology and Christianity, five views (pp.179-182).
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Wolters, A. M. (2005). Creation regained. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. Eerdmans
Publishing Co.
