BOOK REVIEW

Book Review: Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity

Abstract

In this paper we try to explore the concept of Psychology with respect to religion. The main focus of the research is on psychology and its relation with Christianity. The research also reviews the book “Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity: and analyzes the perspective of psychology in relation to Christianity and tries to gauge its effect on human behavior. The paper also describes concrete response, reflections and how me as the student will apply what I have learned in a counseling setting. This is what the paper is all about.

Book Review: Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity

Psychology has been a fertile ground of contention, not only between Christians and non-Christians, but also among Christians. Such is the opening observation of the book Psychology and Christianity: Four Views. The growing importance of this field in contemporary society is seen not only in its public appeal, but also in its increasing acceptance and utilization within the context of the church (Entwistle 2004).

In reaching out to souls, an understanding of the treatment of mental disorders which are becoming more prevalent (or more recognized) also requires the expertise offered by years of specialized research in this field. Knowledge of psychological findings on “hot button” issues such as homosexuality allows for a more informed and firm defense of our stance. What is clear is that psychology is not only a controversial, but an essential field to be reclaimed for Christ as it not only dabbles with just any human soul, but the very soul for which Christ died on the cross (Entwistle 2004).

Concrete Response

Four Views begins with a short but comprehensive introduction to the historical development of psychology and its relationship with Christianity. This relationship is examined in the broader context of the popularly held but hackneyed perception of religion as antagonistic to the scientific quest for truth. The editors, Johnson and Jones, characterize this line of argument as no less than “tragic distortions of the truth” (Entwistle 2004)and proceed to clarify such infamous cases as the excommunication of Galileo by the Roman Catholic church as a complex interplay of “ecclesiastical, political, personal, social and theological forces” (Entwistle 2004)rather than a simple case of religion against science. Instead, the Judeo-Christian worldview, by asserting that the universe is knowable and “behave[s] according to laws” (Entwistle 2004)provide the basis for scientific knowledge.

Modern science, on the other ...