Psychology in Christian Perspective

An Analysis of Key Issues

Harold Faw

• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Year: 1995
• Print ISBN:
  9780801020124
• eBook ISBN:
  9781585585649
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: History & Theory in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

This book follows the standard progression of introductory psychology texts and adds a Christian perspective that contributes needed diversity to the study of the mind and behavior. Topics range from ESP to moral development. Each chapter provides an introduction and overview of a given theme, a discussion of issues, an exploration of how psychological and biblical perspectives might be complementary, and a recap with suggested readings.

1

Foundational
Issues and Perspectives

Imagine that you have just taken a seat in the classroom on day one of your first psychology course. Glancing around you with a mixture of concern and anticipation, you begin wondering what the course will be like. Will I find psychology tedious and trivial, or will it capture my imagination? What is psychology anyhow? Your inner dialogue is interrupted as the professor asks each student to take a piece of paper and complete the following sentence: “In my view, a psychologist is someone who .-.-. What’s this—a test already? It’s only the first day, and we haven’t been taught anything yet!

I regularly give this task to unsuspecting freshman students on opening day in psychology classes. It is one of several questions through which I attempt to better understand their thinking. Invariably, students provide an enlightening array of responses: In my view, a psychologist is someone who .-.-.

“helps individuals deal with life.”

“knows a lot about the human mind and human behavior.”

“cares, who listens, and who is willing to help people through difficulties.”

“gets paid to listen to other people’s problems.”

“analyzes a person and what makes him tick.”

“uses big words and analyzes everything and anything.”

If you are new to psychology, your response might be similar to one of these.

The range in both the content and the tone of these opinions indicates the variation in perspective with which people approach the study of psychology. Some are particularly naive, while others are remarkably well informed. Some hold views that have obviously been shaped by the media, whereas others base their perspective on direct acquaintance with a psychologist. All demonstrate at least a rough idea of what psychology is.

Psychology can be described as a systematic attempt to understand human behavior and conscious experience. Unlike some other fields with similar goals, psychology seeks its insight primarily through observation and science rather than through reasoning or speculation. This distinctive offers a strong attraction; every September, thousands of eager students enroll in their first psychology course, hoping to learn more about this fascinating subject.

Psychology’s Wide Appeal

For numbers of these students, their introductory course will be the first of many, for on college campuses across North America, psychology is among the most popular majors available. How can we account for the widespread popularity of this growing discipline? Several reasons come to mind.

Most of us are intensely curious about the mysteries of our own and others’ behaviors, be they commonplace or bizarre. Probably every one of us has been frustrated by the experience of retaining trivial details from a recent movie, yet completely forgetting even the central point of yesterday afternoon’s lecture. Who among us, having encountered a tragically aloof autistic child or a mentally handicapped but cheerful adult, is not both repulsed and attracted at the same time? And what normal person is not curious about how, within moments, we can identify the voice of a long-lost friend who phones unexpectedly? The challenge of a better understanding of ourselves beckons both researchers and students to embark upon the journey of exploring human experience. For this author, after more than twenty years of pondering, learning, and teaching, the love affair with psychology shows no sign of cooling off.

But there is more. Those of us fortunate enough to work or study at an institution committed to biblical perspectives on life and learning have an additional reason to study psychology. This motivation may be even more compelling than our natural curiosity. Upon completing the creation of the world and its colorful array of inhabitants, God adopted the role of evaluator and graded what he had made as good (Gen. 1). Having completed the task of creating humans, however, God evaluated his work as being very good. We have the opportunity of examining and marveling at his excellent work.

Due to the tragic effects of our first parents’ fall into sin, people as we now find them are not functioning according to God’s original design. Nevertheless, there remains an essential reflection of the Creator in all humankind, tarnished and distorted though it certainly is. Consequently, delving into the mysteries of human thought and behavior brings with it treasures of insight into our awesome Creator-God. Thus for the Christian, the investigation of human experience is motivated not only by a desire to understand ourselves, but also by a hunger to know God more fully.

Let us ponder for a moment along with David the marvelous way in which God has made us. In Psalm 139, David revels in the wonder of both God’s creative power as seen in humans and his incredibly intimate knowledge of each person. These verses are worth meditating on thoughtfully and often, for they draw us along with the psalmist into wonder and worship. “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways” (vv. 2–3). “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (vv. 13–14). For the child of God, the study of psychology engenders an attitude of humility and awe—we can praise our great God even as we pursue insight into people, his image-bearers.

Surveying the Landscape

Before we begin our explorations, let’s pause briefly and scan the major contours of the region ahead. Psychology is an incredibly broad and varied discipline, incorporating a startling array of topics and perspectives. At one pole, it borders on the disciplines of biology and medicine, sometimes joining them in an attempt to alleviate the tragic consequences of brain disease or injury. At the other pole, psychology intersects the fields of sociology and anthropology in their explorations of how group norms and social context affect an individual’s actions. A striking example of this unfortunate influence occurs when mobs engage in senseless acts of violence and vandalism.

Between these poles lie a myriad of aspects of human functioning. Psychologists investigate age-related shifts in children’s reasoning abilities, bizarre behavior changes brought about by mental illness, variations of human personality traits, and much more. Psychology has numerous subfields. Specialists in the dynamics of small-group interaction will conduct studies that share little in common with the research of those exploring the perception and recognition of human faces.

In addition to these obvious differences in topic or specialty, psychologists adopt a wide range of underlying perspectives in their efforts to understand the mysteries of our humanness. Some researchers are committed to a neurobiological approach, searching for causes of abnormalities such as schizophrenia in the patterns of brain-cell activity. Others, commonly known as behaviorists, look for links between the events in an individual’s physical or social environment and his or her outward actions. Those preferring a cognitive approach find the parallel between human and computer processing of information both intriguing and instructive. A psychologist who opts for the humanistic approach rejects the restrictive and dehumanizing scientific rigor of these experimentally oriented methods, emphasizing instead the unique human qualities of choice, feeling, and self-determination. Finally, those who, like Freud, believe in the powerful role of the unconscious, approach their investigations from a psychoanalytic perspective. Researchers who prefer very different approaches may at times focus on the same human experience but investigate it at quite different levels. We will have more to say on this important point shortly.

Given the rich complexity and endless variety of human experience, it should not surprise you that the tools used to explore those experiences also range rather widely. It is worth noting, however, that all these strategies are based in some way on direct observation and are thus part of the general method known as science. Let’s briefly introduce the most common techniques.

Some investigators choose to conduct experiments, a method in which cause-and-effect patterns are explored. This is done by controlling situational variables as much as possible, manipulating potential causes of behavior, and noting the changes that follow. For many researchers, particularly those enamored by the precision and the objectivity of science, this method is the most preferred.

Other procedures are much less intrusive. In many observational studies—for example, those exploring play patterns in children—participants are unaware that their behavior is being recorded. Other descriptive methods, some perhaps already familiar to you, include surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and correlational studies. The latter are designed to discover whether variables such as friendliness and intelligence are related. No particular attempt is made to determine specific causal links.

Armed with this preliminary understanding of the scope of psychology and the range of research strategies it employs, we turn to a fundamental issue. It is one we address now and come back to again and again throughout the book.

Are Psychology and Faith Compatible?

The basic question that challenges every thoughtful Christian who looks seriously at psychology can be phrased in various ways. Christian psychologist Gary Collins (1988) expressed it simply in the title of his recent book Can You Trust Psychology? Alternatively, we might ask, Can psychology be compatible with genuine Christian faith? This is a question to which sincere believers have given a variety of answers.

According to James Beck and James Banks (1992), there are three distinct views about the place that psychology should occupy in the life and thought of the evangelical Christian community. One group of Christians welcomes psychology, incorporating its concepts freely into both understanding and practice and attempting to equate theological and psychological concepts whenever possible. Robert Schuller’s strong emphasis on self-esteem and positive thinking illustrates this first view (Schuller 1982).

A second group of believers is wary of psychology and often strongly critical of it. These believers regard it as a threat to the purity of true Christian faith and as a movement that directly competes with an orthodox biblical position. The forceful anti-psychology writings of David Hunt (1987) and Martin and Deidre Bobgan (1987) represent this second viewpoint.

A third group of Christians holds a more central position. For them, psychology is a source of useful insight, but one that, because of the influence of anti-Christian perspectives, must be carefully evaluated in light of biblical teaching. Attempts to combine biblical and psychological understanding of human nature and experience, including the present work, grow out of this third position.

Many thoughtful people are troubled and confused by the array of conflicting positions held by orthodox believers, all of whom claim a genuine commitment to Christ. In the minds of some, there must be one correct position on this issue; we need to discover it and then persuade all Christians to adopt it. A few claim to have already found the correct and final answer.

All too frequently, in our commendable search for truth, we reject any perspective that differs from our own without understanding it or seriously considering its merit. Sometimes we resort to discrediting the integrity of those who hold opposing views in order to resolve inner confusion and bolster our confidence. Although I have a defensible position on the issue of how psychology and Christian faith relate, I do not believe that everyone should necessarily adopt my particular view.

Naturally, I hope that my readers will carefully consider the perspectives presented in this book. However, understanding our differing views and the basis for each is to me much more important than convincing others to accept the “correct position.” In case you don’t agree with this claim, consider the following defense for an approach based on tolerance and understanding.

As confirmed by both Scripture and psychology, all of us see “through a glass darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12 KJV). It is important for Christians to understand and affirm that objective and absolute truth exists and is known with complete accuracy by God. We must also understand, however, that no one except God enjoys this luxury. In contrast to his understanding, ours is always colored by errors and distortions that result from human fallibility. Several factors might cause different people to arrive at diverse conclusions as to how psychology and Christianity relate. Let us consider some of these.

Sources of Disparity

Evangelical Christians share a common commitment to the Word of God as inspired and authoritative. Consequently, they all have much the same understanding of such fundamental doctrines as the character of God, the deity of Christ, the seriousness of sin, and the means of man’s reconciliation with God. On less central issues, however, we interpret the same Scriptures in a variety of ways (Johnson 1983). Often these differences arise from diversities in our cultural and theological roots.

Some hold a separatist view, placing top priority on preservation of the purity of our faith and prevention of contamination from unchristian influences. Others emphasize our responsibility to function as salt and light in society, interacting with and challenging our culture with Christian perspectives and values. These differences (often functioning at an unconscious level) predispose us to expect either serious discrepancies or fundamental harmony. As is frequently our experience, we tend to find what we are looking for.

Our unique life histories and personalities can also influence our reading of Scripture. Some people are by nature inclined to know the correct position and to be annoyed that others can’t see it. Others are more willing to tolerate uncertainty. Depending on our unique experiences and our direct contacts with psychologists, we may form a negative or a positive impression that colors all subsequent evaluation.

These considerations help us to understand why various believers interpret Scripture quite differently. Cedric Johnson (1983) emphasizes the impact such influences can have by arguing that there is no such thing as a biblical fact that bypasses human interpretation. Although God’s Word is absolute and infallible, our understanding of it clearly is not. Open discussion of ideas and thoughtful evaluation of differing viewpoints in the context of mutual trust and humble truth-seeking are vital. They help to counteract our ever-present human tendency to err.

One other factor merits consideration in this context. As we have already seen, psychology comprises a wide range of specialty areas. The probability of tension and conflict arising between psychology and Christian belief is much greater in areas such as counseling or personality theory than in specialties such as visual perception or causes of forgetting. So depending on which specialty area is the focus of one’s evaluation, the degree to which psychology and an orthodox Christian position can be compatible varies widely. A single summary assessment cannot do justice to the entire field. This point will become clearer as we examine a variety of controversial topics in subsequent chapters.

Two Key Questions

Without making any claim of having identified the only Christian position on this or any other issue to be discussed in the book, I will shortly make clear my own starting assumptions. Readers are invited to evaluate these perspectives for themselves. Before doing so, however, let’s consider two important preliminary questions. They involve the appropriateness of seeking knowledge from sources out...

Table of contents

• COVER PAGE
• TITLE PAGE
• COPYRIGHT PAGE
• CONTENTS
• FOREWORD
• PREFACE
• 1. FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES
• 2. BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
• 3. SENSATION AND PERCEPTION
• 4. STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
• 5. CONDITIONING AND LEARNING
• 6. MEMORY, THOUGHT, AND INTELLIGENCE
• 7. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION
• 8. DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE LIFESPAN
• 9. HUMAN PERSONALITY
• 10. NORMALITY AND PATHOLOGY
• 11. THERAPY AND HEALTH
• 12. SOCIAL INFLUENCE
• EPILOGUE
• REFERENCES
• INDEX