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4-MAT Review 1: Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity Liberty University

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David Entwistle, WIPF and Stock Publishers, 2004

4-MAT Review: Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity

Abstract The integration of psychology and theology has consistently been questioned since psychology started to become an integral part of our society. It has been shown that psychology and theology was being integrated as far back as biblical times. Many parables, from the bible, show examples of how prophets, disciples and Jesus himself used the integration of psychology and theology to help guide people. The church has always been an influential aspect in society. As individuals relied upon guidance, from the church, they found themselves immersed in Christian beliefs. As Darwinism emerged, many individuals found themselves confused and unsure of what they should believe. This confusion and questioned faith helped to create a rift between science and Christianity. As Christians we have a specific worldview. Our worldview is based upon our Christian belief system. As Christians, we have the desire to use our abilities to do good things that please God. Psychology is not integrated into our worldview to help create sin but to be a source of guidance to help eliminate sin and help individuals live happy and healthier lives. There are many types of worldviews throughout the world. Our worldview is often the result of the society and culture in which we live. Where we come from plays a large part in how we think and perceive things. Growing up with a Christian worldview gives us the perspective that we have been created in the image of God and therefore we have a certain obligation to show goodness to our fellow man. There is no such thing as the perfect person. We are all sinners. However, we

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have the ability to ask and receive forgiveness for our wrongdoing. By seeking forgiveness we re-establish our relationship with God and eliminate our suffering. There can be many ways in which our values and Christian beliefs can be tested. Epistemology deals with how we stand up to the opposition and confirm our beliefs. Enwistle indicates that epistemology is an exercise of intellectual virtue (p. 90). By intellectual virtue, Enwistle means that honesty, humility, curiosity, diligence, respectfulness, compassion and intense feelings of spirituality envelope us and help us see that without these virtues we would not be the person that God expects us to be (p. 91). One very important part of our intellectual virtue is humility. Humility enables us to see that we are not always right and accept that we are prone to error. Sometimes what we expect and feel certain of is enhanced by our own need to be right. If we cannot acknowledge when we are wrong then we cannot allow ourselves to grow and understand from our mistakes. The issues of integrating theology and psychology are sure to continue. However, it is important to understand that as Christians we must live by example and use the bible as a daily guide for our lives. Psychology allows us to peer into the human mind and understand who we are and why we make the decisions that we make. Together, theology and psychology can provide us with a faith based perspective of our daily lives and help to encourage us to live Godly lives. Concrete Response In 2006, my family and I suffered the loss of my brother to a drunk driver. After this accident I began to question my faith in God. How could God be so cruel? What had our family done to deserve this? Better yet, what had I done to make God so mad that he would take away

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my only brother? For the next several months I continued to ask the question If God is so good then why has he caused so much pain? I rebelled against God. To me, the Christian upbringing of my youth was shattered and all my faith was lost. Over the next several months my life seemed to spiral. I was doing everything I shouldnt be doing and moving farther away from God. There was a part of me that desperately wanted God to send me a sign and let me know that everything would be alright. Many nights passed without any sign, from God. My feelings of disbelief seemed to be validated. Then, one night while I was sleeping, my brother appeared to me. His presence seemed so real. He told me that he was sorry that he had to go but that he was in a much better place. He told me that God was watching over me, had his arms around me and that I would never be alone. As my brother prepared to leave, he gave me his special wink and waved. I remember being startled and setting straight up in the bed. I wasnt sure what had just happened. The tears began to overcome me and I just wept. As I cried, I began to pray. As I ask for forgiveness, I felt a sense of warmth overcome me. That night my faith in God was restored and ever since then Gods presence, in my life, has been my number one priority. Reflection One thing that I focused on was the worldview that a person has. A persons worldview is a combination of everything that a person has experienced in their life or has been subjected to. Therefore, I must agree that we have help in acquiring our worldview. We receive help from our family, friends, the area and culture we live in. However, I do question that if we are bound by the worldview of just our culture how can we become creative individuals? How could we possibly accept or consider the opinions of others? Would we not want our opinion or way of

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doing something to be the right way or only way? I dont think that this would allow flexibility and compromise. Therefore, I must also consider that a persons worldview must encompass their own personal experiences and relationships within other diverse cultures. What I also thought was interesting is that our worldview helps us to answer four questions about ourselves. Within these four questions we can find out who we are, where we are, what is wrong and how we can fix what is wrong? By understanding God and the creation of human beings, we can assess these questions, identify our needs and find the answers that will allow us to understand our relationship with God. It is important for us to recognize and comprehend that God is a forgiving God and that he is there for us and will guide us if we just have faith in him. Action This book has allowed me to see how I can use my faith and a variety of counseling techniques to enhance the lives of others and give families and children hope. In relating to the families that I work with, I believe I can utilize psychology and theology to witness to them and help them get their lives back on track. One thing that I think is very important is to lead by example. By living for God and doing his will, I hope to reflect all the goodness that God has to offer. I volunteer as an advocate for abused and neglected children. In working with abused and neglected children, I think that it is important to be aware of the worldview that these children may have. If a childs worldview is shaped by their family and experiences, I feel that it is important to counteract a negative experience with a positive experience. Therefore, my goal

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is to instill faith in these children and let them know that God cares for them and will always be there for them regardless of their situation.

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References Entwistle, D.N. (2004). Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock.