Summary
In the book Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity by David Entwistle compares and contrasts the secular view of Psychology and the biblical view of Psychology. Entwistle delves into the question is psychology and Christianity mutually compatibility.
The Integrative Approaches, Entwistle communicates to us there is two human behavior perspectives which relate to each other. According to Entwistle (2010), In order to intertwine psychology and Christianity it is required to define the contours of each subject. (Pg 246)
“Entwistle uses fives models to explain the relation between the study of psychology and the unclearly defined term of Christianity in Psychology. Entwisle use the monikers enemies, spies, colonialists, neutral parties, and allies as subjects. The enemies’ perspective is Christianity and psychology are enemies and they should be should be kept completely apart. They cannot work together in any way. The spies’ perspective is to, send someone into the other camp and steal their ideas for them; in essence they are parasite. For example, psychologist would cross the threshold into the world of Faith and take useful information and mold it to work with the secular views of psychology. Not reinventing the wheel, just reinventing the path. The colonialist has one field of study colonizing or taking control and distinction over the other. Meaning the field of Faith will work with psychology as long as is superior to it. In other words, psychology becomes a silent partner. The neutral parties’ has both studies work hand and hand and accepting each other as long as their mutually respect involved.
According to Entwisle, there are many obstacles to integration of psychology and Christianity. T...
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...s looks at things in one dimension and not in the 3D view of life.
As far as my counseling services, I would use some of the pre-reading questions as a medical questionnaire to get to know my clients. I think the question which asks to spend an hour before the next class or session observing their behavior and thinking. This will help pinpoint their anxieties.
Lastly, I would like to suggest Entwisle’s next edition of this book to use references from The Bait of Satan by John Bevere and The Big Book of Bible Difficulties Dr. N. Geisler and Dr. T. Howe. The Bait of Satan discusses forgiveness, Interpersonal conflicts, and Religious aspects of Christianity. The Big Book of Bible Difficulties offers readers clear and concise answers to every ajor Bible difficulty from Genesis to Revelation, staunchly defending the authority and inspiration of Scripture.
References
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
After reading a few of the chapters in "Psychology Through the Eyes of Faith", I feel as if I have learned more in one sitting than many in years of my life. The chapters were not life altering, but simply stated things that I have overlooked. The topics that affected me most were on living with the mysteries of faith, benefits of true rest, and the emotion of happiness. Yes, they are really in no way related, but each of these topics impacted me in a different way, and made me think about what was being presented.
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 integration of psychology and Christianity is a rarely touched subject that Entwistle opened the door wide open with this complex and informative book. Entwistle uses is own worldview and research to supply the information for this book with a spiritual twist. Entwistle did accomplish to gather concise information and while also remaining objective. I do think that in the information that was provided I took it as him putting psychology and Christianity on the same pedestal. God is the creator and the maker of all and there is no equal or greater than him. I do feel like integrating psychology and Christianity can open the minds of individuals and show them another way to look at individual
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...
D. Brett King, Wayne Viney, & William Douglas Woody, (2013). A History of Psychology, Ideas & Context. 3rd ed. United States: Pearson.
Psychology comprises of two words originally used by the ‘Greeks’, ‘psyche’, defining the mind, soul or spirit and lastly ‘logos’ being study. Both words define together the ‘study of the mind’. Psychology perspectives evaluate the normal and abnormal behaviour and how persons’ deal with different concepts of issues and problems. Psychology theories’ are based on ‘common sense’, but its scientific structure, everything needs to be evaluated and tested, therefore, promoting different psychological theories’.
David Entwistle’s Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity David Entwistle's (2010) Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity is geared more towards Christians with conservative evangelical views and provides the reader with 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 between 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 clearly stated. He believes that it is necessary for theology and psychology to be integrated in order to fully understand human nature.
Hotherstall, David. History of Psychology. (B.F. Skinner). Ed. Ukn. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003. Print.
The Neutral Parties model views that psychology and Christianity are independent from each other and there is no need for integration of the two disciplines. Finally, the Allies model views that there is a “unity of truth” and that all truth comes from God’s therefore both psychology and Christianity are legitimate, but under God’s sovereignty (Entwistle, 2010, p. 182). After considering the evidence from all of the various models of integrations discussed above, it seems that the allies model of integration best presents the relationship of psychology and Christianity and is a preferred approach for the integration of
of each other. Regardless, there are still Christian counselors or therapists that use (or in a
Somerville, John. The Strange Case of Modern Psychology. The Journal of Philosophy. Vol. 31. October 1934. pp. 571-577.
Cherry (2014), “In order to understand where we are going, it sometimes helps to take a look at where we have been. While psychology is a relatively young discipline, it has a rich and colorful history” (para 2). In this paper, I will identify the philosophers that historically relate to the beginnings of psychology as a formal discipline. Furthermore, I will present the major philosophers in the western tradition that are responsible for the formation of psychology as a discipline. Finally, I will give a detailed account about the progression and development of the science of psychology in the nineteenth century.
the theories, and the techniques dealing with Christian and secular counseling will require different tactics and approaches for it to be effective
In this essay I am looking at where Psychology as a discipline has come from and what affects these early ideas have had on psychology today, Psychology as a whole has stemmed from a number of different areas of study from Physics to Biology,