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Psychology from a Christian perspective
Psychology from a Christian perspective
Comparison of the five views of psychology and Christianity
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Working Outline I. Introduction A comprehensive Christian theory of counseling integrates the disciplines of theology, psychology, and Scripture. In providing a holistic approach in to counseling individuals, it is prudent to survey one’s mind, body, soul, temporal systems, and super natural systems, in which all influence the person. A more complete plan of care may be offered when the contributions from both psychology and theology are offered. “The best interdisciplinary integration work usually comes from those who have formal or informal preparation in both psychology and theology” (McMinn, 2011, p. 9). By virtue priority being given to Scripture in that it is infallible and has all authority along with multitasking, Christian counselors can integrate these three disciplines into an effective strategy to assist counselee’s in healthy life change. However, “psychology must come under the authority of scripture” (Crabb, 1977, p. 49). There is danger in this view, putting one’s faith in another’s interpretation of scripture instead of scripture itself. Nevertheless, there is a way to stand against this issue, McMinn (2011) maintains, “properly conceived, intradisciplinary integration flows out of a deep appreciation for theology and a profound personal transformation caused by a life in Christ” (p.30). Personal transformation, through the work of the Holy Spirit affords protection from abuse, self-deceit, and misunderstanding. II. What are aspects in understanding human personality? A. Personality God created man in His image (Genesis 1:27), and thus is at the core of each individual. Use of Hawkins (2010) concentric circles, the five forces which influence and shape personality and pe... ... middle of paper ... ...re] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. Conclusion The integration of psychology, spirituality, and theology permits the counselor to take into account all constructs of a counselee’s behavior when making an assessment. Psychology delivers empirically proven theories and techniques. Spirituality produces a desire for change, hunger for hope, and need for guidance. Theology is the sieve in which theories and techniques of psychology must be sifted through to ascertain Christian presuppositions (Crabb, 1977). In the art of multitasking, the guidance of the Holy Spirit is necessary, as it is the Holy Spirit drawing the human heart to Christ (John 6:44).
As a Christian counselor, we have the power of the Word on our sides, but so many of us do not understand how to properly apply scripture into the counseling relationship in an effective manner. In Interventions that Apply Scripture in Psychotherapy, Garzon (2005) attempts to accomplish the following; educate individuals on the various techniques one can use to apply scripture, and to encourage and stimulate God ordained creativity in the hopes to create new techniques and methods for applying God’s Word in the counseling relationship.
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.
Others have substituted human wisdom for divine, and based on the “Hermeneutical Principal” they claim liberty to do in religion anything not specifically forbidden in the Bible. Those who justify the use of mechanical instruments of music in worship do so upon the basis that it is preferred and that there is no verse that specifically forbids its use.
Writings of historical scholars, Josephus, Aristotle, and Plato, to name a few, are taken as truth and fact, yet the writings of the Scripture are constantly disputed. Why? Perhaps because of the ethical imperatives imposed to which people do not want to adhere. Perhaps because of man’s ego and pride that disallows them to submit to a Higher Authority. Nonetheless, The Bible has been, and still remains, the most widely read and revered book of all
authority, then humans ought to obey the laws of the Bible. By this reasoning, the Biblical norm
Within the counselling setting there can be many different approaches to take in order to help the client to over come their personal challenges. While all provide a unique and abstract way of handling, interpreting and solving these challenges they all have their own positives and negatives when scrutinized. Two approaches that have little in common but the fact they are used within the same working environment are the feminist theory and the psychoanalytic approach. Psychoanalytic approach has a structured and theoretical basic which leave it with much less room for interpretation and adaption to the client. Focusing more on the past and development then the
In Chapter 10 of Rudolph K. Sanders’ book, Christian Counseling Ethics: A Handbook for Psychologists, Therapists and Pastors, Mark Yarhouse, Jill Kays and Stanton Jones discuss the “sexual minority” as it pertains to the field of professional counseling. This group is defined as “individuals with same sex attractions or behavior, regardless of self-identification” (Sanders, et. al., 2013, p. 252). By looking at counseling the homosexual community through its etiology, standards by which a counselor should proceed with treatment, and the options a client has on deciding treatment options, we can be better prepared as Christian counselors to be better prepared in serving the needs of others.
My Philosophical Approach to Counseling Definition of Existential Therapy One survey taken by Corey suggests a definition of Existential Therapy include two key elements: Existential Therapy is essentially an approach to counseling and therapy rather than a firm theoretical model, it stresses core human conditions. Normally, personality development is based on the uniqueness of each individual.
Throughout human history, the topic of theology has been a central aspect of everyday life. A common denominator of all modern-day religions is that they provide a set of rules which one is to follow in order to live as a good, moral being. When a deity (or a group of deities) commands followers to abide by specific moral standards though a vehicle such as prophets, religious texts or otherwise, this is called Divine Command Theory (DCT). Those who accept this theory believe that moral action coincides with what has been ordered by the deities, and immoral action would occur when one deviates from these orders. Despite this theory remaining relevant into the twenty-first century, it has still yet to solve one age-old dilemma. The Euthyphro Argument has stumped philosophers for years, but some Divine Command theorists believe they can overcome the massive obstacles it presents. In this paper, I will argue that it is impossible for one to resolve the Euthyphro Argument no matter how it is approached, and that the challenges it presents to DCT are insurmountable. To begin, I will first introduce the Euthyphro Argument and its two horns. Following this, I will summarize the best response a Divine Command theorist could possibly hold for the first horn of the Euthyphro Argument, and subsequently render it untrue. I will then repeat this process for the second horn of the dilemma. Once both of the original claims have proven to be unshakable, I will address the common attempt by Divine Command theorists to work around the issue by claiming it is not in fact a dilemma at all.
Parker, S. (2009, March 5). Spirituality in counseling: a faith development perspective. Journal of Counseling and Development, 89, 112-119.
Values, Morals, and Beliefs are components that play a role in an individual’s self-identity. The establishment of these components shape human nature, behavior, and the development of an individual’s purpose. The basis of these fundamentals has contributed to my desire to become a counselor. This paper will discuss my views of human nature, factors of behavior changes, goals of therapy, the roles of a therapist, and the counseling approaches that I chose to incorporate in a practice.
As a future counselor, I have enjoyed learning about the different techniques and theories of counseling. Understanding each approach is important but I believe that the counselors self knowledge of her or his own values, worldviews and life philosophy is just as important for the counselor to do the job effectively. Each theory that we learned about, I could see being helpful to different people, their circumstance and individual problem. I can see myself using different parts of each in my future career. Currently, I more drawn to the Adlerian theory. I understand and agree when Adler believed that people do have the ability to monitor and control the direction of their lives.The unconscious shapes personality,
The relationship between religion and morality is one which has been, and continues to be, exhaustively discussed and debated by philosophers. One argument which seeks to provide a solution to this matter of contention is the Divine Command Theory. In this paper, I will argue that the reasoning provided by the Divine Command Theory is an inadequate defence of the dependence of morality on religion and religious deities because it fails to provide logical justification for God's moral dictates. First, I will begin by providing a closer examination of the Divine Command Theory and its implications, and offer explanation for its widespread appeal. Next, I will introduce Plato's The Euthyphro, which critiques the Divine Command Theory's definition of morality, and its famous dilemma, which poses two possible explanations for the correlation between God's command and morality. Subsequently, I will explore Rachels' argument in Elements of Moral Philosophy, which posits that neither alternatives proposed by the Euthyphro dilemma are acceptable because the first fails to provide reason for God's moral judgments, implying that they are arbitrary, while the second is inconsistent with religous ideology. Next, I will examine and refute a counterargument made by many atheists... Finally, I will conclude that due to the failure of the Divine Command Theory to prove the dependence of morality upon God's will, independent moral standards do in fact exist.
the theories, and the techniques dealing with Christian and secular counseling will require different tactics and approaches for it to be effective
It is imperative to study counseling theories when beginning field based work. Counseling theories provide a foundation to be able to learn and develop my own techniques. Some ideas that exemplify the significance of counseling theories are; research, application of theories, and case studies.