Psychology And Christianity

How are Christians to understand and undertake the discipline of psychology? This question has been of keen interest (and sometimes concern) to Christians because of the importance we place on a correct understanding of human nature. Psychology can sometimes seem disconnected from, if not antithetical to, Christian perspectives on life. How are we to understand our Christian beliefs about persons in relation to secular psychological beliefs? This revised edition of a widely appreciated Spectrum volume now presents five models for understanding the relationship between psychology and Christianity. All the essays and responses have been reworked and updated with some new contributors including the addition of a new perspective, the transformative view from John Coe and Todd Hall (Biola University). Also found here is David Powlison (Westminster Theological Seminary) who offers the biblical counseling model. The levels-of-explanation model is advanced by David G. Myers (Hope College), while Stanton L. Jones (Wheaton College) offers an entirely new chapter presenting the integration model. The Christian psychology model is put forth by Robert C. Roberts (Baylor University) now joined by Paul J. Watson (University of Tennesee, Chattanooga). Each of the contributors responds to the other essayists, noting points of agreement as well as problems they see. Eric L. Johnson provides a revised introduction that describes the history of Christians and psychology, as well as a conclusion that considers what might unite the five views and how a reader might evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of each view. Psychology and Christianity: Five Views has become a standard introductory textbook for students and professors of Christian psychology. This revision promises to keep it so. Spectrum Multiview Books offer a range of viewpoints on contested topics within Christianity, giving contributors the opportunity to present their position and also respond to others in this dynamic publishing format.

This collection of essays edited by Eric Johnson and Stanton Jones offers four different models for the relationship between Christianity and psychology.

""I have known Professor Newton Malony for more than forty years. l have great respect for the way his mind works and the wise positions he takes. He is at once stimulating and creative, historically thorough and futuristically insightful. I highly recommend any encounter with substantive material from his mind and pen."" --Neil Clark Warren, Founder and Chairman, eHarmony.com; former dean, School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary ""Newton Malony is an internationally recognized pioneer in the application of religious principles to clinical practice and research. He is capable, like few others, of bridging professional differences and arriving at reasonable conclusions."" --Allen E. Bergin, Professor of Psychology, retired; coauthor, Spiritual Strategy for Counseling and Psychotherapy ""For Newton Malony, psychology exists in the service of religion. With the histories of the Christian church and psychology as his backdrop, Malony holds fast to his religious values throughout this book, making a case for the relevance of Christianity to a broad range of issues in clinical psychology."" --Gordon Nagayama-Hall, Professor of Psychology, University of Oregon; author, Multicultural Psychology ""Newton Malony was a major force in reinventing the psychology of religion during the second half of the twentieth century. This book highlights his contribution to clinical psychology in Christian context. Malony's ideas go a long distance and this book is a wonderful collection and culmination of them."" --Raymond F. Paloutzian, editor, International Journal for the Psychology of Religion; coeditor, Handbook of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality ""This excellent collection of Malony's contributions to the integration of Christian faith and clinical psychology provides a rich and indispensable resource for scholars and students interested in psychology and the religious quest. Writing over many years about complex matters of emotional health and spiritual life, he has given us a gift that is accessible, enjoyable and deeply relevant."" --Winston E. Gooden, dean, School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary ""What a treat it is to recommend this really solid collection that represents more than four decades of creative engagement with key issues in applied and professional psychology, effective ministry in the context of the local church, and some really fascinating musings by a senior spokesperson in the field."" --Richard Butman, Professor of Psychology, Wheaton College; coeditor, Modern Psychotherapies: A Christian Appraisal

Following the standard progression of introductory study, the chapters of this book identify and discuss issues in tension between faith and psychology. Faw suggests that Christian perspectives bring needed diversity to the study of mind and behavior.

The American Association of Christian Counselors and Tyndale House Publishers are committed to ministering to the spiritual needs of people. This book is part of the professional series that offers counselors the latest techniques, theory, and general information that is vital to their work. While many books have tried to integrate theology and psychology, this book takes another step and explores the importance of the spiritual disciplines in psychotherapy, helping counselors to integrate the biblical principles of forgiveness, redemption, restitution, prayer, and worship into their counseling techniques. Since its first publication in 1996, this book has quickly become a contemporary classic—a go-to handbook for integrating what we know is true from the disciplines of theology and psychology and how that impacts your daily walk with God. This book will help you integrate spiritual disciplines—such as prayer, Scripture reading, confession—into your own life and into counseling others. Mark R. McMinn, Ph.D., is professor of psychology at Wheaton College Graduate School in Wheaton, Illinois, where he directs and teaches in the Doctor of Psychology program. A diplomate in Clinical Psychology of the American Board of Professional Psychology, McMinn has thirteen years of postdoctoral experience in counseling, psychotherapy, and psychological testing. McMinn is the author of Making the Best of Stress: How Life's Hassles Can Form the Fruit of the Spirit; The Jekyll/Hyde Syndrome: Controlling Inner Conflict through Authentic Living; Cognitive Therapy Techniques in Christian Counseling; and Christians in the Crossfire (written with James D. Foster). He and his wife, Lisa, have three daughters.

Relational Integration of Psychology and Christian Theology offers an in-depth, interdisciplinary relational framework that integrates theology, psychology, and clinical and other applications. Building on existing models and debates about the relationship between psychology and theology, the authors provide a much-needed examination of the actual interpersonal dynamics of integration and its implications for training and clinical practice. Case studies from a variety of clinical and educational contexts illustrate and support the authors’ model of relational integration. Using an approach that is sensitive to theological diversity and to social context, this book puts forward a theological and therapeutic framework that values diversity, the repairing of ruptures, and collaboration.