Integrative Approaches To Psychology And Christianity Summary

In the book Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity, author David N. Entwistle engages with his readers by having them explore and understand the relationship between psychology, theology and Christianity. Before the reader can begin to comprehend the information talked about within the reading, the reader must understand some important terms. Throughout this book Entwistle talks a lot about integrating, which he defined in the reading as a thing that we discover when we are uncovering the fundamental unity that God created (Entwistle, 2010, p16). Because the basis of theology and psychology are different from that of Christianity it is thought that the three cannot be combined. According to Entwistle (2010, p8), during the past century, the relationship between faith and science has been a topic of intense debate. In order to help

the reader gain a better understanding, Entwistle used Athens and Jerusalem as examples to represent knowledge through human reasoning and faith respectfully.
Harry Blamires provided a different approach to the integrated thinking. He brought to the table the idea that there were two types of thinking, secular and Christian (Entwistle, 2010). In the text Blamires stated, “To think secularly may be to think well or ill, logically or illogically, illuminatingly or platitudinously, fruitfully or to no purpose” (Entwistle, 2010, p9) Blamires also thought that, “to think christianly may be to think well or ill, rationally or irrationally, knowledgably or ignorantly” (Entwistle, 2010, p9). As the reader continues in the book, Entwistle gives the reader the thought that psychology, theology, and Christianity all go hand in hand and that they can be integrated and used together. In the reading Entwistle (2010, p51) states, “the interaction of psychology and theology is virtually inevitable due to their mutual interest in understanding the ambiguities and mysteries of human behavior, and healing human brokenness.”
A large section of the book talks about the theories on worldview. Everyone has their own worldview based on the experiences that they have encountered throughout their lives. There are four basic questions that are asked when talking about worldviews, who am I, where am I, what is wrong, and what is the remedy (Entwistle, 2010, p63). In the reading Entwistle (2010, p63) claims, “The worldview with which you were raised, modified by your personal experiences and reflection, will inevitably affect your view of psychology, Christianity, and the possibility of integration.” Having a discussion with someone who does not share the same views as you could be beneficial in the growth of an individual.
To conclude through my readings thus far, the book discussed the five disciplinary relationships. Those relationships are enemies, spies, colonialists, neutral parties, and allies (Entwistle, 2010). The enemies’ model has two different versions, Secular combatants who have a worldview that is antagonistic towards religious beliefs and Christian combatants who are committed to the field of psychology and have a world view that is antagonistic towards religious beliefs (Entwistle, 2010). Those who follow the Spies model have an interest in uncovering the psychology of the religious system rather than holding on to the orthodox theology (Entwistle, 2010). The colonialists have superficial acquaintances with psychological theories or findings and they do not exert significant effort towards understand how psychology and Christianity can both express truth or be used to gain a larger picture or human nature and functioning (Entwistle, 2010). The neutral parties model follows, “the tactic of noting the distinctiveness of psychology and the uniqueness of theology, while identifying their similarities of content” (Entwistle, 2010, p146). The last relationship model is the Allies model. This model recognizes that all truths are known by God who is Sovereign over all things (Entwistle, 2010, p147).
Concrete Response
From the time I began to play sports, I was always told that because of my body size and athletic abilities, that if I worked hard I could play in the pro's. After hearing this I made it my duty to work as hard as I could to make sure that I lived up to the pedestal that had been placed upon me. The older I got the harder I worked, which gave me added praise but even greater expectations. My parents kept me in the church and through prayer I was able to keep my priorities in order and eventually earn a scholarship to play football in college. Even though I had put in all the work that allowed me to be praised by my peers, things became overwhelming. I began to lose my faith and hang out with some people who I thought were my friends but turned out to be people who wanted me to fail. Before reading the book I just assumed that this was something that was a part of life.
However, once I read I learned that under the disciplinary relationships model, I identified most with the colonialists. In the reading it stated that those who identify with the telos usually have no deep commitment to, or engagement in, the broader disciplines of psychology, and they often prefer to segregate themselves in enclaves with like-minded people (Entwistle, pg 145). I have the belief that everything happens for a reason and that God has a greater plan for everything that happens in a person's life. Looking back on the things that I have been through I believe that I was my own road block to making it to play professional sports. Instead of playing, now I am coaching and working with kids trying to help them so that they don't make the same mistakes that I did.
Reflection
For someone who is not very familiar with the similarities and differences of psychology and Christianity, reading Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity can be very beneficial. Through the readings I came across something’s that I considered to be positive and was left with only a few questions. Being able to provide a very clear understanding of the different material being talked about was one of the ways I felt that the book was positive. Because it provides such a clear understanding, those who are studying or teaching a class on this or a similar topic could really benefit from using this book.
Even though I believe that this book could be used in all walks of life including inside the church, one of my biggest concerns is if those who are pastors or in the ministry setting could use this book. Most of the individuals that are in a ministry setting wish to provide positivity to others and not dwell on the negative as some of the models in this book do. Also I wonder about those who were like me during the time that I was lost in my faith. I’m not sure if this book can provide them with the amount of positivity that they need in order to make a change in their lives. Even with these two concerns, all in all I felt that this book served as a positive enforcement to help out those who are unsure or are in need of something that will help them integrate psychology and Christianity.
Action
As I continue my journey towards being an effective counselor, I will use some of the models that I learned in the book, Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity.

Because I was unsure about where I stood within the five models discussed within the book, the first step that I will take as a counselor will be to make sure that each client I work with is aware of where they stand. There were a lot of models discussed but in my opinion I felt that there were five that were more important than the rest and would be the ones that I would put the most focus on during a counseling session. These five models are Enemies, Spies, Colonialists, Neutral Parties, and Allies (Entwistle, 2010). By helping a client understand where they fall within these five models will help determine whether the actions both the client and the counselor are taking are positive or negative. Entwistle (2010) says that "for Christians the question is not whether or not psychology can be related to Christian faith, but how one should relate psychology to the Christian faith and how we can use this knowledge to love God and to love our

neighbor."

References
Entwistle, D.N. (2010). Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity: an introduction to worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models of integration. (2nd Ed). Eugene, Oregon. Cascade Books.