This course has truly positioned me to focus on so many levels of
understanding when it comes to the science of psychology and the
Christian Biblical view. As I spent time taking the statistics and research
classes required in this program, I focused all my time and efforts to best
understand the empirical aspect of science and how data and experiments
are key components. It is this viewpoint that has introduced so many
concepts from the null and alternative hypothesis in either proving or
failing to prove a null hypothesis. It wasn’t until this course that I was
really challenged in looking at the Biblical viewpoint and how Wolters,
(2005) focuses on that a true worldview is based on an individual’s beliefs.
As I reviewed Johnson, (2010) and his work of looking at the relationship
of psychology and Christianity he positions us to reflect on his Five Views,
Explanation View, Transformative View, Christian View, Biblical Counseling
View, and the Integration View, we see then there are different
perspectives to this relationship. It is now that I truly understand that
there is real tension between the science of psychology and Christianity.
As I mentioned in my previous discussion threads, I am now challenged on
my perspective regarding this matter. My area of research is focused on
job satisfaction in the workplace. I have written my final assignment and
clearly stated that I believe that psychology was the sole factor in
affecting job satisfaction based on motivation. Specifically intrinsic and
extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation focuses on autonomy, process
and skill building where extrinsic motivation focuses on reward,
punishment and compensation. I was immediately drawn to the early
adopters of psychology and philosophy to prove these theories based on
Pavlov’s classical conditioning and Skinner’s operant conditioning. But
then I was introduced to Wolters, (2005) view about the Grand Narrative
about creation, the fall and redemption. This has allowed me to see things
from a different perspective in the workplace. I can see how individuals
from the fall would be affected in these areas because their negativity and
sin has tainted their ability to be reasonable and rationale. If all
employees were of the mindset from the creation we would have harmony
and stability in the workplace. There would be homeostasis and chemistry
among coworkers. Due to their distortions of reality and inability to
operate within social norms, supervisors can use the Scriptures of God
specially with the Gospel to reorder love and position individuals for
redemption to see the good in each employee rather than firing them and
setting them loose on the streets to become even darker and sinful. “The
sum of the total evil and rottenness in the world is a result of human sin
and the creature’s enslavement to the devil, (Wolters, p. 67). Here I can
continue to understand the tension between the science of psychology
and Christianity because they both affect job satisfaction in the workplace.
This is why I thought based on the five views from Johnson, (2010) that
the integration view was most familiar to my findings in my area of
studies.
The Gospel message of the restoration of humankind does matter to my
research area because it speaks to how an employee can change their
ways and focus on personal and professional development through
growth, learning, mentorship, peer engagement and the
employer/employee relationship. Based on this week’s video, I have
learned how Truth resonates from God because he is the one that created
the world and human beings. The Truth has been outlined in the Bible and
is learned by studying his works, through his creation.
This in turn further complicates my views of the tension between the
science of psychology and Christianity as I continue to conduct additional
reading and research in this area.
References
Johnson, E. (2010). Psychology and Christianity: Five Views (2nd ed.).
Downers Grove, IL:
Wolters, A. M. (2005).?Creation regained: Biblical basics for a
reformational worldview. William B. Eerdmans Pub.
