Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling (AACC Library)
1. Respond to the following: Psychology is just sinful human beings sinfully thinking about sinful human beings. Clarify your rationale for agreeing or disagreeing with this statement.
The pejorative nature of the statement appears illogical on three counts. First, if the proposed theological indictment emphasizes the initial phrase, “just sinful human beings,” then it is difficult to understand how the accusation would not apply to all humans in all fields of study. If the accusation accents the middle phrase, “sinfully thinking,” one wonders if the author is supporting a fideistic Christianity or naïvely implying it is possible for Christians to think without the influence of sin. Regardless, Scripture is clear that even thinking about thinking is commanded of Christians (2 Corinthians 10:5). Finally, if the disparaging emphasis is on the third phrase, “about sinful human beings,” then the entire polemic fails as Christ not only thought about sinful humanity, but the sole purpose of the incarnation was a focus on sinners (Mark 2:17).
Ironically, due to the fallen nature of humanity, if one concludes that psychology is just sinful human beings sinfully thinking about sinful human beings, then it seems one must make the same conclusion of theology. Accordingly, either the phrase is pejorative in nature and without logic, or it is entirely true without the pejorative connotation. Thus, to the extent any truth exists within any discipline, it must not be associated with the discipline or the individual, but God and God alone, which supports Entwistle’s proposition that “all truth is God’s truth” (Entwistle, 2010, p. 13).
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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, OR: Cascade.
