Is Psychology biblical?

AiC when I talk about psychology I'm not talking about Freud or those of his ilk. Modern psychology has moved far beyond that. There are legitimate Christian psychologists, counselors, social workers, etc., who can be very helpful to those suffering from legitimate psycological problems. To simply say all one needs to do is to read the Bible and believe is the equivilent of saying one doesn't need to go to a medical doctor or take a prescription drug. After all, all one needs to do is to read his or her Bible and believe that God will heal.

 

Ignorance is as ignorance does.

 

How come 90% of the Scripture quoted here is King Jimmy?

So...let me get this straight...you think the beginnings of psychology was flawed...then its scholarship improved...but still can't be good because "Jesus and His [W]ord never moves?"

That doesn't make any sense.

Also, you are throwing out good scholarship here. That's how we learn about behavior patterns and the physical things that cause them. And don't tell me it's sin, because that's a cop-out. We all recognize that sin is responsible for separation, disconnection, death, etc. There are, however, chemical, hormonal changes that can be inadvertently triggered through subtle behaviors.

And the Church, with all it's emphasis on guilt and how jacked-up we all are, hasn't helped anything. There are tons of people who need counseling due in part to bad theology and anthropology.

I was one...and I was clinically, seriously depressed. And it was brought on by, one, family history, two, family culture and three, harmful thought patterns of spiritual abuse.

All truth IS God's truth. If any part of psychology is true, it is from God. If any part of anything is true, it is from God. Thankfully, we've learned enough about behaviors and chemicals to know how to better treat these issues.

 

It depends on what kind of psychology you're talking about. Strictly speaking, psychology is anything that seeks to understand why people make the decisions they do so if you really want to get down to it, it could be said that there is psychology in the Bible.

The problem is that psychology as we know it today began with the behavioralists, who believed that man is good and if we can just identify the source of the behavior and change the behavior, all man's problems will be solved.

The problem with that is that it ignores the Biblical teaching that man is sinful and that his problems stem from his sin, which can only be resolved by Christ's atonement on his behalf, and the regeneration that follows.

I guess, simply put, it isn't that psychology in and of itself is bad, but that modern psychology leads to so many bad conclusions.

 

If psychology or psychiatry is only the study of behavior and neglects the underlying causes (sin) then it is nothing more than bunk that you can see on the Oprah Winfrey show.

If however a psychologist uses the bible as supreme authority in addition to his education, then I believe much good can come from it.

 

Sort of like saying: "God does the healing; He gives me the wisdom to develop techniques and practices, and guides me in their application"?

 

:thumbsup:

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Don,

You were not posting to me, but I'll chime in briefly.

I have no problem with that, so long as the "techniques" and "practices" and "guidences" and "applications" are all taking the person to the spiritually healing and restoring and reviving and renewing scriptures that can and will bring Gods healing when internalised by the brother or sister who is in need.

When I hear that some pastor just brushes someone off by saying "just pray more" or just "read the bible more" I want to scream. There should be a crime against that.

But when someone truly encounters and internalises the pertenant passages of scripture..the truly healing scriptures that adress whatever the troubled ones issues are...the Holy Spirit will do His good work and healing will take place.

It will take place because of the "renewing of the mind" that God does so wonderfully...

Praise the Lord.

To turn from that, and choose the Godless ramblings and babblings of the Friuedian counterfiets is just tragic.



AiC

 

This is a key point, Amy, and you were right to make it. Many secular theories and methods of psychology totally ignore the sin question, the matter of right and wrong. Instead, the word "inappropriate" has become common in American culture. "It was inappropriate for you to murder five people" instead of "That was a evil, sinful deed."

 

Thank you very much for the good information. I am familiar with Charles Solomon, but not the other two.

Thanks again

AiC

 

Glad to help. If you are actively involved in counseling, Jay Adams and the NANC people have a lot of good resources: http://www.nanc.org/. Wayne A. Mack (a Baptist) has A Homework Manual for Biblical Living (2 volumes). This is homework you can give to the counsellee: . And John Kruis has a good little volume, Quick Scripture reference for Counseling, put out by Baker Book House.

The main difference I have with the NANC people is that Jay Adams is a dichotomist, and I'm a firm trichotomist, so I like Charles Solomon's approach better.

Edited: Wayne Mack doesn't appear to be with NANC anymore, but has a website with some good resources at: http://www.mackministries.org/

 

Luke1616...

I know. They dont quote scripture to support psychotherapy, because there is none

But there is scripture admonishing us to NOT forsake the pure water of Gods counsel, found in the scriptures, for the polluted water of the counterfiet. Such as this..(just one of multitudes)...

AiC

 

SAG38...

I know that. And you know what? If I hear of someone who has been helped and found relief from the secular "psychotherapy" option...I'm happy for them, that they have found relief. I'm not mad at them. I'm glad they are doing better.

But there is a *better way*, and its Gods way. And its available for free.

 

I see everybody continues to bat this ball around. Here is a website that may interest some of you. I do not know if the website's author is Baptist or not. Don't really care. But you may find some interesting stuff to read. The website is not about biblical psychology, but about the ministry and teaching vocations. The website is mainly for pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries, as well as any lay ministers and teachers. I stuck it here because . . .











www.preachology.com



...Bob