Entwistle Article Review

Summary

The ACA Code of ethics provides a guideline for counselors to help improve the quality of life through the development of professional counselors who will help people and society to live a life that is led with dignity and integrity. The ACA code of ethics is divided into nine main sections that serve as an ethical guide in the counseling profession. These codes of ethics look at the counseling relationship between the counselor and clients, their confidentiality and privacy, counselors' professional responsibilities, and their relationships with other professionals. It looks at how counselors should handle their research and publication of materials, supervision, training, and teaching and how to conduct distance counseling through the use of technology and media and also, it helps counselors determine the guidelines for solving ethical issues. This code of ethics correlates with integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity. The church has established that there is an association between life ethics and social ethics which form part of the ACA code of ethics. Hence, the need to understand the integrative approaches and psychology and Christianity by looking at the different models that are used to explain psychology and their relevance to the development of professionalism in counseling and the promotion of dignity and integrity in human life.

David Entwistle’s book on the Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity looks at the association between psychology and Christianity in subdivisions. The author first looks at the biblical context where he looks at humanity as a fallen being by referencing the Genesis account of the fall of man. He looks at the different views of theologians on the effect of the fall of man. From the biblical context he draws that some acts are considered a sin and from there, Entwistle points out the role of the Roman Catholic in pinpointing the social and cultural dimension of sin (Entwistle, 2021, p.161). The Christianity context helps establish that human beings are works of art made by God’s hands, however, human beings commit sins. The sins affect their relationship with God, hence the need to live by the biblical values which are also shaped by society. Societal values are shaped by psychological ideologies and hence throughout the book David Entwistle aims to explain the association between Christian theology and psychology and their role in shaping the different ways people and societies view the world.

Additionally, David Entwistle explores the different models which he uses to explain the interrelation between Christianity and psychology in particular and general. He looks at the different models by various scholars that aid in understanding the association between psychology and theology. He explains that the most influential models are those that were developed by Carter. Carter models are divided into 4 subgroups of two main models which are secular models and sacred models (Entwistle, 2021, p.167). The author developed six main models built on Carter's main ideas. These models include; Enemies, Spies, Colonialists, Re-builders, Neutral Parties, and Allies (Entwistle, 2021, p.167). These models differ in various ways such as in the goals and purposes they intend to achieve, and the procedures used in their construction. However, they play the main role in demonstrating diverse ways of abstracting the association between psychology and religion in general, or psychology and Christianity in particular.

Entwistle explains that the Enemies model holds that psychology and theology are incompatible (Entwistle, 2021, p.172). The Spies model puts orthodoxy in danger and it selectively borrows components from other disciplines which are beneficial to each other, that Christianity and psychology work in particular situations. Also, he explains that the Colonialists model tries to maintain orthodoxy but it borrows from psychology by selectively incorporating, rejecting, and relabeling information. The Neutral Parties model views psychology and theology as completely autonomous (Entwistle, 2021, p.181). While the Allies model establishes that all truth originates from God, hence uniting both Christianity and psychology. On the other hand, the Re-Builders model explains that psychology belongs to God and that Christianity transforms people to be like Christ. Entwistle comparatively explores these models to explain the interrelation between psychology and Christianity.

Interaction

Through the models, Entwistle plays a huge role in explaining the relationship between Christianity and psychology concisely and objectively. The author uses the Enemies model to explain the antagonistic relationships between psychology and religion. Entwistle uses the Enemies model as a standard measure of highlighting antagonistic relations. The two versions of the model take either the position of the psychology of human beings or the theology of human beings. These two verses capture either a secular or spiritual view but not both. Those with the secular view are referred to as the secular combatants while those of the spiritual view is the Christian combatants (Entwistle, 2021, p.170). The secular combatants reject God's authority and assert that psychological health practices are incompatible with religious practices and while the Christian combatants believe that through God’s guidance, and adherence to the scripture they can be healed of any human conditions. This model is still influential in modern-day society and it has been reinforced by the ACA code of ethics which implores counselors to respect their client's religious beliefs and eliminate any biases from their psychological practice and research (Entwistle, 2021, p.171). Thus, this model is antagonistic.

The Spies model on another hand asserts that all religious systems are psychological phenomena (Entwistle, 2021, p.174). Thus, these systems can be either helpful or harmful to people. The spies model tends to avoid the hostilities of the Enemies model. While, the Colonialists, Re-Builders, and Neutral Parties models are intermediate models to the relationship between psychology and religion (Entwistle, 2021, p.216). The Colonialist's model believes that psychology can be used to explain human conditions as per the scripture (Entwistle, 2021, p.177). Hence, making psychology secondary to religion. The Rebuilders model recognizes Christ's Lordship of assumptions about human beings as they rebuild psychology, and the Neutral Parties model either results in psychological neutrality or Christianity neutrality (Entwistle, 2021, p.235). The Colonialists model establishes its standing with God but also engages psychology through theological dominance while the builders are critical of secular foundations of contemporary psychology and the Neutral parties model tends to align both the psychological and theological conclusions. However, it fails to provide a holistic understanding of human behavior.

On the other hand, the Allies model establishes that both psychology and religion are subject to God and they are both used to establish a holistic and unified understanding of the truth (Entwistle, 2021, p.184). The model rejects the assertions of the Enemies model that psychology and religion are independent and affirms with the Colonialists, Rebuilders, and Neutral parties that psychology and religion provide insight into human behavior. All these models have their strengths and weaknesses, however, they are crucial in understanding the relationship between psychology and Christianity. Just like the author, who supports the integration of the Allies model in explaining the association between psychology and Christianity, I feel that this Allies model best suits to explaining the association between the two disciplines. The model is best suited because it explains that God is sovereign and both disciplines can be used to exemplify Him. The model explains suggests that neither psychology nor Christianity has primacy in influencing people's worldview because God is the source of all truth. Thus, this model exemplifies the best integrative relationship between psychology and Christianity as it has a comprehensive foundation of knowledge.

Application

The models explained by Entwistle are critical in forming some of the codes of ethics in psychology. For example, the Enemies model which explains that psychology and Christianity are incompatible is used in dictating some of the articles in the code of ethics. Through the model, a counselor learns that they should respect their client's religious beliefs and they should not bias while offering their services. Section B of the code of ethics stipulates that counselors should respect their clients' rights by respecting their differing views towards the disclosure of information (ACA, 2014). Hence, the Enemies model is critical in shaping the counseling profession, and in the event, as a counselor one of my clients has contracting views in regards to religion, I will practice respecting them, and eliminate any chances that may result in biasness when handling the client's needs.

Additionally, the Allies model is critically important in defining some of the values that are practiced in counseling. The allies model explains that both psychology and religion originate from God. God is a supreme being whom individuals that believe in Him conduct themselves with values and alienate themselves from sin (Wong, 2020, p 565). Such values are critical in forming the code of ethics in the counseling profession. As a counselor, I would apply the Allies model in my profession by practicing the core values that are crucial to both religion and psychology as a strive to better counselor. These models are critical in shaping my practice in counseling and psychology overall. The models explained by Entwistle are critical in explaining the relationship between psychology and Christianity. Hence, the need for counselors to understand them and determine their role in shaping and solving various situations in their profession.

References

ACA Code of Ethics (2014).

Entwistle, D. N. (2021). Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity: An introduction to worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models of integration. Wipf and Stock Publishers

Wong, P. T. (2020). Existential positive psychology and integrative meaning therapy. International Review of Psychiatry, 32(7-8), 565-578. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2020.1814703