Molly Johnson is a recent graduate of TCC who would like to work with children, in particular through the Department of Children and Family Services or an adoption service.
I believe that the best way to look at
Christianity and psychology is through an integrated lens. My overall synopsis
would be that Christianity and psychology should be integrated and work
together in order to heal patients as well as guide them in the right direction
to living a happy and healthy life through the glory of God. I feel as though
Christianity and psychology cannot be separated into their own separate realms
because they need to incorporate the insight of the other in order to function
as a key component in understanding how life works. This type of integration
can bring us one step closer to an even better understanding of God’s kingdom
through the knowledge He has given us about it through His word and through the
scientific knowledge we have been blessed with.
For a specific definition of psychology, I
would say that psychology is the knowledge and understanding of our cognitive
processes. It is these processes that we study and our attempt to explain them
leads to even more linked discoveries. It is the study of human nature as well
as the study of human cognitive processing. Psychology is aimed at not only our
cognitive processes but our behavior as well. It requires careful observation
and thought and is interconnected to other aspects and areas of scientific
knowledge such as biology, physiology, chemistry, etc. Our description of the
psychology that is unique to us as humans helps us differentiate between other
living things.
Psychology serves the purpose of being able
to understand why we do the things
that we do and how certain things
affect how we live and experience our lives.
It is also the means through which we help people work through their
disorders, conditions and problems. We study psychology in general to be able
to improve our well-being and to gain a better understanding of our
capabilities as human beings. We should study the discipline of psychology in
order to engage with the world in our surroundings and other people while doing
it in a way that glorifies God. We strive to help others better understand
themselves and show them the ways that explain how and why they are the
children of God.
The relationship between Christianity and
psychology should be that they have the potential to be separate but when they
are brought together they bring us one step closer to knowing even more about
ourselves and the world we live in. Psychology helps us to understand the
individual while using Christianity as a means to answer the questions we
cannot scientifically prove. In the same breath, a Christian psychologist
should play a role that seeks to provide scientifically sound therapy or
counseling while also addressing those ‘unknown’ bits of knowledge through a
Christian perspective. They should be able to provide a place of welcoming
peace and remind the patient that they are one of God’s people and that He
always has their best interests in mind.
We would be able to recognize work in
psychology as “Christian” by acknowledging that it is faith-based with the goal
of providing evidence that shows that we are doing this work ultimately through
and for God. All work in psychology should strive towards the common goal to
better God’s kingdom and help His people be the best that they can be. Some,
but not all evidence should be scripturally-based since the Bible is not a
textbook and we should not use it as such. We can recognize work in psychology
as being Christian by seeing that it is centered in God and that the person who
is involved in that particular work has a strong faith background.
Anything in life can be looked at through a
Christian perspective and it is important for us to not have all of life’s
answers because that is where faith comes in. It brings mystery and enchantment
into our lives and it will always provide us with God’s love no matter what we
encounter. We must leave it up to faith in order to answer the questions that
cannot be proven by science. The questions we have simply cannot all be answered
but at least we may have some peace of mind that everything in life happens for
a reason. Psychology brings us closer to knowing more about the world,
ourselves and God, but only just so much that we don’t obtain all of the
world’s answers. Those answers we cannot have are God’s and God’s alone. We
must put our faith and trust in Him because in the end, all that matters is
that we are blanketed in His unconditional love.
