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, c 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).
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. 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. c 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.
