Theology and psychology stress different aspects due to their diverse techniques, source materials, and purposes. According to Entwistle (2015), theological reflection often concentrates on God’s workings in the world; it informs us of the story of God’s engagement with the world in formation and salvation. On the other hand, psychological reflection often focuses on the workings of God’s universe; it aids us in understanding the processes that regulate much of human behavior. A Christian worldview is immediately relevant when people question what values and goals they should cherish and follow.
A Christian worldview forms the backdrop against which individuals interpret reality in all circumstances. Individuals might continue to discover parallels between psychology and theology since they have the same Author and depict a unified existence. Nonetheless, integration entails considerably more than just finding connections between psychology and theology (Hathaway & Yarhouse, 2021; Entwistle, 2015). Furthermore, the Colonialist, Rebuilders, Neutral Parties, and Allies models all acknowledge that psychology and theology may provide insight into human nature and that there are several places of intersection between them.
Psychology, theology, and all other fields of study are subjects of One Sovereign. According to Entwistle (2015), they are God’s subjects in the sense that He created and maintained all reality. Firstly, every academic issue people are investigating and studying is God’s field. Secondly, because God is Sovereign, individuals must be careful of devoting themselves to His authority, including using theology, psychology, and any other discipline to achieve virtuous goals.
As a result, psychology and theology may collaborate as partners because God has given people these sciences. While psychology and theology require some independence from one another, they cannot be fully separated. As people seek integrated knowledge, they will occasionally discover that their psychological and theological understandings do not entirely coincide (Entwistle, 2015). For instance, individuals will misperceive one book, and their perception of God’s books will lead them to either adore the Author or idolize one of His creations. Therefore, one goal of integration should be to appreciate God and worship Him truly.
Finding connections between psychology and Christian theology might be a first step toward integration, and an integrative perspective can lead to the search for parallels. Integrationists will notice shared characteristics in interest between psychology and Christian theology, but they are also interested in bringing the results of the two disciplines into harmony (Entwistle, 2015). For example, the Bible instructs humans to educate and love children rather than irritate them. Similarly, psychological research has shown that the parenting style linked with the most extraordinary outcomes includes moderate degrees of control, plenty of display of kindness and affection, and open ways of communicating. Significantly, when individuals consider psychology from an integrative standpoint, they are able to hear what God has to say about people’s functioning through special revelation, namely the Bible (Newell, 2019). General revelation is also information that God permits humanity to discover, and one of the most effective methods available for people is through the discipline of psychology.
References
Entwistle, D. N. (2015). Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity an introduction to worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models of integration (3rd ed.). Cascade Books.
Hathaway, W. L., & Yarhouse, M. A. (2021). The integration of psychology and Christianity: A domain-based approach. IVP Academic.
Newell, J. (2019). Where psychology meets spirituality. Biola Magazine. Web.