This is David Entwistle 2nd edition book published in 2010 by Wipf and Stock in Oregon. Entwistle is a Christian and a licensed psychologist; he has affiliations with Molone University in Canton, Ohio serving as chair of the Psychology Department and has taught courses related to his licensed field. This book clearly is not written for any newcomers to religion. However, it was written for those interested in the integration of science and religion. The authors’ purpose for writing this book was to define the relationship between psychology and theology. There are three specific areas this book touched upon to help readers’ better approach psychology and Christianity in a personal and more professional manner: The context of philosophical issues and worldview, to help the readers become aware of assumptions or beliefs- making the reader a more critical evaluators, and to introduce and familiarize the reader with five paradigms for integrating psychology and theology.
To understand Entwistle’s method of work he starts out in the book by using psychology and theology metaphorically by comparing them to a “fork in the road.” No matter the discipline when it pertains to looking for the truth everyone eventually ends up searching for the same goal. Entwistle creatively compares and contrast the five paradigms given by different researchers and authors looking for his own explanation in which he does share with the readers- taking a combination of the useful models already explored in the book excluding anything that is against the thought of religion.
The reading focused mostly on the five models especially towards the last four chapters of the book and from all of the models it is transparent that the 5th model which is the Alli...
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...sel, I will work thoroughly to try to correlate appropriate disciplined approaches in everything that I do if there is a need for cohesion. I will be more like-minded as God would want me to be when challenged with opposed issue in which I may or may not agree with.
I will seek the truth in all levels of my life and I will continue to be humble, working on improving my personal relationship with God. I know that I am able to follow through on what I have mentioned. By my obtaining of a BA degree in Psychology at York Community College in New York, my newly learned work at Liberty University of Virginia, and continuous learning through life experience I am sure I will be able to turn my statements mentioned above from nouns to verbs.
Works Cited
Entwistle, D. N. (2010). Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity (2nd ed.). Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock.
Entwistle's Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity: An Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations, and Models of Integration
Faith plays a pivotal role in our construction of religion. The work of Dr. Sharon Parks analyzes faith development throughout one’s life span but pays special attention to emerging adulthood. Dr. Parks has an extensive academic career which incorporates her attendance of Princeton University’s theological seminary. As well as her attendance of Harvard University’s divinity school where she obtained her doctorate. Through her extensive research in areas such as “developmental psychology, religion, theology, leadership and ethics” (Service Resources, 2014) Parks is able to focus her work on faith development. Her work is influenced by theorists such as Erickson, Piaget, Perry and Levinson but primarily it is based off of Fowlers work in faith development. Her background in teaching and counseling has allowed her close access to seeing students during this important portion of their lives.
Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling written by Mark McMinn and published by Tyndale House in 2011 notions towards the idealization that Christian counselors need to be privy in the most recent psychological methods as well as theological theories. “This is a book about counseling processes techniques” (McMinn, 2011, p. 150). McMinn also alluded that Christian counselors benefit from having a spiritual maturity. With having these attributes counselors are better prepared to take note of prayer, Scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption. McMinn (2011) model flows in the direction of healing while equating to a more advantageous relationship with The Lord Jesus Christ as well as with other relationships (McMinn, 2011).
David Entwistle's (2010) Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity is geared more towards Christians with conservative evangelical views and provides the reader an outline to different worldview disputes and truth-seeking groundwork that surround the connection that underlies psychology and theology. In addition to analyzing the possible connection of psychology and theology, Entwisle discusses the consideration of integrating Christian faith with the practice of psychology. “Christian understandings of person-hood, the purpose of human life, our need for God, and the ethical teachings of Christian faith are integral to psychology, not merely parallel to it” (p. 199). Entwistle’s viewpoint on this matter is stated clearly. He believes that it is necessary for theology and psychology be integrated in order to fully understand human nature.
Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity” tells about the integrating Christianity and Psychology. According to author Entwistle (2010) he discusses integration and how they are combined. The book of God’s word is referred to the Bible and the book of Psychology is the work that reflects his deeds that is written throughout God’s work. In the text it included five different models of integration which are: enemies, spies, colonialists, neutral parties and allies as subjects of one (p. 154). The enemies model take the position on the psychology of human beings verses the theology of human beings, so therefore this model sees Christians and psychology as enemies that should be kept separate from one another. The spies model, unlike the enemies model does not reject religion, but does take only what works for them. Psychology would enter the Christian world and take parts of the religion concepts that they feel would work well them. Just as a person would take part of the bible and read what they believe only applies to them. The colonialist model has a superficial acquaintance with psychological theories, they the colonist does not exert signification effort towards understanding how psychology and Christianity both express truth or how they can both gain a larger picture of how human nature is functioned (p.137-145).From my understanding Entwistle (2010) believes that psychology works well with religion as long as religion obeys or is superior to psychology.
According to Craig Dykstra, in Fabric of Faithfulness, “patterns of intentionality” are “the habits of heart that characterize the individual’s effort to live a coherent life over the course of life” (49). These patterns are an essential feature of a Christian’s faith as they show what the intentions of one’s life are as he or she lives out their faith. When looking back on one’s life, you can measure his or her intentions by seeing how they have grown in their faith. In other words, you can measure one’s intentions by looking at their experiences and how they have overcome them and reproached the same situations. To understand what a Christians intentions are, one can look that his or her “deep-seated desires” (Garber, 29). Thus, every person’s “patterns of intentionality” is different from another’s. The patterns show what one cares about and his or her commitments because what they strive for is what they care about the most. One’s desires are shaped by their beliefs and how they act out those views. Most people’s “patterns of intentionality” show that they strive to live out their life selflessly for God’s Kingdom.
Entwistle’s book explores the links and integration between psychology and Christianity. As the title explains this book paints a picture of the conflicting worldviews and philosophical foundations that people perceive about how they can be integrated. Entwistle provides research through scholarly reflection and various models that link both psychology and Christianity together. Entwistle remarked by saying “There are many events that raise both theological and psychological questions and such events serve as useful springboards to investigate links between Christian theology and other disciplines” (Entwistle, 2015, p. 8). This statement sets the stage for the readers to understand how some events throughout history have laid the
In the first chapter of Psychology in Christian Perspective by Harold W. Faw the author talks about psychology as a subject, the different aspects of the subject and how psychology fits into the Christian world. Faw begins the chapter by describing what others think psychology and his views on psychology as well. He describes that “psychology can be described as a systematic attempt to understand human behavior and conscious experience” (Faw, 1995, p. 12). He then goes on to describe the many different types of specialties of psychology which include, neurobiological, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, and psychoanalytic. These specialties are then integrated into the Christian worldview. They are all different so they all fit into
Entwistle explains that our worldview greatly impacts how our Christian and psychology worldviews. God created us all differently; some of us grew up in small towns, large families, different countries, large cities. We all come from different homes lives, have different family units and the list goes on. Because we are all created differently our opinions and reactions are all different, making our worldviews all unique. Entwistle believes that our worldview is not something chosen for us or something we choose. He believes that it is created by our life experiences. He begins by introducing 5 models that involve integration. These models are enemies, spies, colonialist, neutral parties and allies. He states that the models “represent different ways of conceptualizing the relationship between psychology and religion in general or psychology and Christianity, in particular.” (p. 136) Those that follow the enemy model take an “either/or” (p.137) position. They agree that both topics should be separated at all times. There is no in between on the two. With the...
David Entwistle’s (2010) is the author of the Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity. In the book Entwistle embarks on a journey to explore Psychology and Christianity. As the title suggests several approaches that are used to define the relationship of Phycology and Christianity. In the book Entwistle begins to takes us on shows that psychology and Christianity go in two different directions and meet up someplace in the middle. This allows them to provide different approaches to understanding and studying the human behavior. Entwistle, (2010) took a new approach that has rarely been used in other books that discussed the topic of integration. Entwistle, (2010) began to talk about the relationship of psychology and Christianity
“Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity” (2010) is about the purposeful integration of psychology and Christianity. Entwistle, discusses the integration of scripture and nature, holding to historic orthodox Christianity that “Scripture and the natural world have their origins in God’s creativity and revelation” (Entwistle, 2010, p. 136). Theology clarifies the Word of God (Bible), and Psychology corresponds with the works of God. A working definition of integration is offered,
evaluate these psychological theories while using the truth of the bible as a guide. Doing
Johnson, Eric L. (2007). Christ, The Lord of Psychology. In Daryl H. Stevenson, Brian E. Eck & Peter C. Hill (Eds.). Psychology Christianity Integration: Seminole Works that Shaped the Movement (pp. 42-57). Batavia, IL: Christian Association for Psychological Studies, Inc.
Kerr, H. (1990). Readings in christian thought (2nd ed.). H. T. Kerr (Ed.). Nashville: Abingdon Press.
For centuries Christian counseling and secular psychology has been viewed as models which should be maintained separately due to the fundamental concepts which each is based on. Christian counseling traditionally focuses on guidance and truth from the Scripture, being the only truth (Crabb, 1977). While secular counselors base their techniques on research and often built on “unobservable or hypothetical constructs”, this can lead to a fusion of data and interpretation (Crabb, 1977). Dr. Crabb’s model of counseling addressed in his book Effective Biblical Counseling addresses the need for the attempt to merge Christian and secul...