Psychology and Christian Thought

Toward a Christian Psychology of Wholeness

Terry A. Bell

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2026
• Print ISBN:
  9798385282210
  9798385282227
• eBook ISBN:
  9798385282234
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Psychotherapy Counselling

Psychology and Christian Thought invites readers into a renewed vision of the human person--one that refuses to separate the mind from the soul or faith from the deep work of healing. In an age shaped by fragmentation, anxiety, and competing models of the self, this book recovers a distinctly Christian psychology rooted in creation, incarnation, and the telos of human flourishing. Rather than forcing theology and psychology into rivalry, Bell explores how their best insights illuminate one another. Drawing from Scripture, the Christian tradition, and contemporary psychological science, he shows how meaning, desire, suffering, virtue, and relational love form the architecture of a whole and integrated life. Along the way, vivid case studies and narrative reflections reveal how real people wrestle with fear, addiction, shame, and hope--and how grace meets them in the struggle. Accessible yet theologically rich, this book offers pastors, students, counselors, and thoughtful Christians a framework for understanding the soul that is intellectually honest, spiritually grounded, and oriented toward wholeness. This book is like a map showing the way to where theology and therapy meet.

Table of contents

• Title page
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• PART ONE: Incarnational Psychology
• PART TWO: Agapeic Therapy
• PART THREE: Toward Integration
• PART FOUR: The Enlightenment Unleashed Convergence
• PART FIVE: Psychagogy
• Epilogue
• Appendices
• Bibliography