THE BIBLE AND PSYCHOLOGY
Modern scientific psychology is a relatively young, multifaceted discipline devoted to the
study of the mind, with its related processes, and human and animal behavior. The science of
psychology can be investigated from many different perspectives, including such diverse areas as
visual perception, computer models of the brain, chimpanzee speech, mental health issues,
learning theory, parenting practices, moral character, human development, or social psychology.
Psychology also speaks to many aspects of everyday living. Psychologists are often
called upon to answer questions such as: Is my child's development normal? How should I
discipline my child? What can be done about the AIDS problem? What causes dyslexia? Do
you think my child might have been abused at the day care center? What is the best way to help
people stop smoking? How can I train my dog to be more obedient?
Psychologists are called upon to consult in all manner of situations, from setting up
programs for residential facilities for delinquent teenagers, to prison reform, youth groups for
churches, Head Start programs, schools who have experienced violence, and churches reeling
from the discovery of sexual abuse in their midst. The almost endless list mirrors the woes of
end-time humanity. These woes have driven much of the research.
Psychology and the Search for Truth
Psychology considers itself a scientific discipline, strongly based on research. However,
many areas are really a "soft science" because human beings are very complex and relationships
dependent on many variables, some of which are difficult to control and to measure.
Psychological data related to human beings are rarely as clear or definitive as mathematical or
chemical data.
The search for scientific truth has guided psychology since its infancy. What does the
research say? Decisions of school psychologists and counseling and clinical psychologists are,
as often as possible, based on the research findings related to the problem. Clinicians are
expected to have a good grasp of research methods and data analyses. A significant number of
research questions appear on the national licensure examination.
As a Christian psychologist, I find two Bible verses appropriate to this search for truth:
"You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) "I am the way, the
