Tension Between Psychology and Christianity

Antagonisms, protracted arguments, and mutual mistrust would characterize a gathering of Christian and secular psychologists. Due to their disagreements over territoriality and charges of invading sacred territory, both psychology and Christianity share these characteristics. For instance, Christians may view psychology as wicked and wrong since, as one's understanding of psychology increases, their commitment to Christianity may decline. Thus, it is essential to be aware of the conflict between what a person learns through their Christian religion and what they learn from psychology. These conflicts might result from weak theological reasoning, lousy science, inefficient biblical study, and shoddy reasoning. However, because the psychological community is failing to address a problem adequately, the same tension may be substantial and push one to defend their biblical values. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the root reasons for the conflict between psychology and Christianity to discover remedies to alleviate it.

The pursuit of truth is different in psychology and Christianity. Since its inception, psychology has relied chiefly on research. As a result, psychologists must base their decisions on evidence in light of relevant research when addressing a problem (Johnson, 2010). However, since humans are sophisticated and their connection depends on many factors, some of which cannot be manipulated or measured, psychology is still a soft science. As a result, psychological information is less palpable than chemical or mathematical information (Uher, 2020). However, several ideas in Christianity relate to this pursuit of reality. John 8:32 claims, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." This passage could describe the pursuit of truth in psychology even if it were not written with psychology in mind. However, psychology sometimes leads to the intertwining of truth with error; hence Christian psychologists must always be alert to identify this blurring of the truth. In order to distinguish between the two, Christians must have a firm basis in biblical knowledge. According to Christianity, God is the origin of all truth, as demonstrated in John 14:16, which states, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." He is the origin of truth regarding the natural universe, including individuals and their souls. According to Christians, God reveals the truth when one carefully studies His written word. Therefore, they use the scripture for guidance, which psychologists view as blind faith as they believe the Bible is not a sufficient source of truth (Johnson, 2010). Consequently, these different perceptions of true knowledge between Christianity and psychology create tension between the two.

Additionally, the notion of levels of explanation is silent about the modernist outlook on psychology and science. Since morals, character, and values, as well as the wisdom that nature offers, are not included, science becomes merely descriptive. Because most of the events that occur during psychotherapy include values, this modernist perspective cannot explain and understand them (Johnson, 2010). The solution to this issue is to adopt transformational psychology, founded on the Old Testament's scientific premise that it is feasible to obtain guidance and wisdom for life from an observation-reflection of human behavior and nature, the sacred writings, and experiences of God. Nevertheless, to maintain this procedure's validity, the psychologist must be receptive to the truth and reality of understanding individuals (Johnson, 2010). This paradigm resolves the conflict between psychology and Christianity by combining two opposing viewpoints into one.

Furthermore, the premise on which humanistic psychology is based is at odds with how Christians view individuals. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers are two psychologists who are proponents of the idea that people are naturally good and that their social context, not the individual, produces dysfunction (Johnson, 2010). They also assert that the quest for self-actualization is the primary driver of human motivation. Although these theories have received criticism, they are nevertheless widely used in psychology and other disciplines that try to understand human motives and growth. However, the ideas are theoretically sound since someone hungry is probably more concerned with getting food than making friends. On the other hand, Christians are aware that their greatest desire is to have a connection with God, which they may achieve via redemption through Jesus Christ. Thus, the psychological factors that determine human motivation do not consider the spiritual needs of Christians for forgiveness and a connection with God. The Bible recognizes the need for bodily sustenance, safety, and a feeling of one's value as a member of society. Psychology, however, contends that man's sinfulness and the belief that he is a decent person serve as the basis for the need for growth (Johnson, 2010). One might examine Jesus' response to the temptation to support the Christian idea that Jesus and God's truth are their fundamental needs. According to Matthew 4:4, "Man shall not live by food alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Because of this, the Bible emphasizes that spiritual, not physiological, requirements are fundamental to human existence. Paul mentions being content in times of abundance and scarcity in Philippians 4:12–13, demonstrating that he did not need to have his fundamental necessities satisfied to continue his work. Psychology prompts Christians to consider if Christlikeness or self-actualization is the highest kind of motivation. Thus, the psychological argument of human drive creates conflict when set up against the Bible.

Furthermore, psychology and Christianity differ in their tactics to meet human needs. Both fields intend to meet human needs, particularly in stress, social behavior, mental health, and emotional health. However, the two fields conflict, creating tension between clients. First, psychologists believe one can comprehend and solve human problems through scientific research without involving Christianity. In contrast, Christians believe that they must use their biblical values and Christian beliefs to resolve issues (Johnson, 2010). The Bible urges Christians to pray for healing through verses such as James 5:14-16, which states, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the church's elders, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up." Often, when one's spiritual beliefs contradict psychology, one is advised to leave the profession as the two cannot mesh in perspectives or ensure a reef between the two, causing internal conflicts (Johnson, 2010). Likewise, Christian patients face a similar conflict when treatment recommendations from their psychologists do not align with their Christian faith. In both cases, the individual feels the need to choose one over the other, creating tension between the two.

During therapy, Christian ideas have also yielded to scientific and naturalistic viewpoints. While adhering to their Christian views, Christian psychologists instead strive to harmonize and critique the field of psychology using their understanding of theology and philosophy. This impression encourages Christian psychologists to revise their methods. However, Christian psychologists are often cautious and careful when discussing Jesus and God with clients who share their faith (Yang, 2021). They also avoid bringing up religious ideas when speaking with clients who do not share their faith. This case demonstrates how Christianity must adjust via submission and its subliminal recommendation to consider the client's view of it rather than overtly recommending it, regardless of if it has a compassionate and more sensitive attitude (Yang, 2021). Regularly emphasizing Christian principles might potentially result in a mental disease diagnosis. In contrast, psychology embraces science and uses it to justify interventions. From the preceding, there are conflicts between the two conceptions since Christian beliefs are subordinate to science in psychology.

Integrating psychology and Christianity is a suitable solution to the tensions between the two fields. The two fields can be complementary as there are numerous concepts that scripture does not cover. For instance, the scripture does not address the working mechanism of neurons, the brain’s synthesis of emotional or mathematical information, the appropriate way to understand personality traits, and types of memory (Johnson, 2010). There are also various areas of psychology where nonbelieving scientists make claims per the Christian perception of the subject matter, creating an overlap between the understandings of the subject. Thus, there are many areas that the two fields can benefit from without the tension. Christian psychologists can therefore be loyal to the teachings of the scripture while expanding their understanding through psychology (Johnson, 2010). Spirituality plays a fundamental in human life; hence psychologists need the integrative approach to develop holistic approaches to understanding human beings.

  The study of the tensions between psychology and Christianity sheds light on their various issues and differences. Psychology has often sidelined Christianity and its concepts, while Christianity has viewed psychology as evil. As a result, Christian psychologists face a conflict between their profession and faith, some opting to make the two separate entities. The conflict between psychology and Christianity sometimes arises from an inadequate understanding of the scripture and psychological concepts and poor critical thinking. However, it can also result from various other issues, such as differences regarding truth and knowledge, human motivations, meeting human needs, science’s ignorance of values, and the forced submission of Christian values to scientific ones in counseling sessions with clients. Nonetheless, a healthy way to be a Christian psychologist is to incorporate concepts from Christianity and psychology into one’s techniques. A challenge in doing so is science’s assumption that it is always right, and for a merging to occur, Christian concepts must adapt to it. People also tend to believe scientific concepts when in need of psychological help than they do Christian concepts. However, Christianity and psychology have complementary concepts that can advance the understanding of human beings; hence establishing a balance between the two is beneficial for more holistic treatments and for establishing a shared knowledge base. 

References

American Bible Society. (1986). The Holy Bible. New York.

Johnson, E. (2010). Psychology and Christianity: Five views (2nd ed.). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.

Uher, J. (2020). Psychology’s status as a science: Peculiarities and intrinsic challenges. Moving beyond its current deadlock towards conceptual integration. Integrative Psychological and Behavioural Science, 55(1), 212-224. Doi: 10.1007/s12124-020-09545-0

Yang, S. (2021). Exploring Christian therapists’ experience of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their faith and spirituality: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Waverley Abbey College Journal, 1(2). Doi: 10.52456/wacjo122