Looking At The Interigations Of Psychology With Christianity Theology Religion Essay

My initial response to the inquiry is that your belief in God and religion should come foremost and that the scientific preparation should follow merely if it lines up with Bible. There are basic presuppositions like personal duty and the effects of the autumn of adult male that need to be considered against the overruling idea and instruction of secular psychological pedagogues and establishments. First we have to make up one’s mind what our footing for truth is, and exhaust that until it wholly engulfs our manner of sing both the physical and religious universes every bit good as the behaviour of people. Merely as we look to mathematics to step and do judgements on our wealth and physical wellbeing, we can utilize Bible to steer us in our hunt to do good determinations and to honour the Creator. Science and belief in God are non antithetical but, many believe that they are. A good Christian would merely hold the ability to travel to Godly principles and rules found in Bible and work from at that place as a starting point. The Bible does non to my cognition force anyone to do any mental leap or wrong manner of thought as to jeopardize themselves. Integration is possible and we as Christians need to be involved in both the layman and Christian universes of scientific discipline, psychological science and therapy. Recent history has shown that the prevalent civilization is traveling and altering in ways that call out for God ‘s will and His justness.

Hunter provinces that Pastoral attention of trusters has been a portion of life since the beginnings of the Christian Church whereas psychological science has merely been around for less than two hundred old ages and that Christian counsellors are progressively being sought out by those looking for advice on religious and spiritual issues ( Hunter, 2009 ) . Furthermore, there has been some scholarly work done in the country of Christian and psychological integrating but, it has non been good received and has had small impact on scientific psychological science ( Bishop, 2009 ) . Most noteworthy was the work of Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen who contributed for over 15 old ages without much success.

Tarakeshwar argued that faith should be to the full integrated into psychological research since spiritual belief holds a big function in people ‘s lives irrespective of their civilization. In add-on, faith has been found to be a strong predictor of of import life countries and influences beliefs and spiritual pattern. It besides has cross-cultural influence ( Tarakeshwar, 2003 ) . In the same vena of idea, Oman ‘s article described the connexions between faith, spiritualty and societal authorization. Religion has been a primary driver of emerging social-movements and their success particularly where the world of good and evil forces are described in a culturally relevant manner ( Oman, 2003 ) .

Tan reported in his article that the best manner to learn Christian and psychological integrating was to hold, “ reliable, unfastened, caring and meaningful mentoring or personal relationship with a professor, a healer, or some other important individual in the pupil ‘s life and preparation, is the most of import and important factor in acquisition and developing integrating accomplishments. ” He farther stated that, “ the clinical supervisor is besides an illustration of a individual who can be a important wise man to pupils in such a manner that they learn integrating. ” Christian clinical supervising facilitates larning and the development of integrating and clinical accomplishments and Fosters personal growing that is Christ-centered, Bible-based, and Spirit-filled with the terminal consequence being more compatible intervention for Christian clients ( Tan, 2009 ) .

The trouble in engaging Christianity and Psychology is that there will ever be a grade of allegiance to one side or another. Harmonizing to Strelan, many surveies have demonstrated that spiritualty and faith are closely associated with psychological wellbeing but, there are besides degrees of religious adulthood and an person ‘s ability to forgive others to postulate with. Noted in peculiar were state of affairss where individuals had feelings of letdown with God that caused more depression. In these cases a deeper apprehension of forgiveness and its benefits to the person were espoused ( Strelan, 2009 ) . What could a secular psychologist do to help a truster in this state of affairs? They would hold to avoid the issue wholly or rupture down the belief itself.

Another country discussed by Carson is the unpersuaded subconscious which is described as an un-surrendered portion of the psyche or mind that frequently gets left behind during and after going a Christian. The unpersuaded subconscious can play a major function in the religious walk of trusters. Carson ‘s article provinces, “ illustrations of this can be seen in those who live incongruent and defeated lives, battle with impulse control and habit-forming behaviours, experience serious psychological disfunction and relationship troubles, fail to mend from experiences of the yesteryear, and suffer great emotional hurting. ” This is another topographic point where psychological science entirely has no reply ( Carson, 2009 )

The Intent of Biblical Counseling

Promote one another, and construct up one another, merely as you besides are making ( 1 Thessalonians 5:11 New International Version )

Biblical guidance has been described in my surveies as the work and action of discipleship. When Jesus assembled his adherents he directed them to follow him so that they could hold a relationship with Him. Discipleship is the give and take between persons as they grow in the cognition and apprehension of God. This could happen between every bit small as two trusters or many as in the typical church or seminary. We are all someplace in the procedure of learning and developing others and being taught ourselves. We are all charged with the ability and the necessity to be of aid to those who are less mature in Christ. Our ultimate end is to go Christ-like and to demo those less mature what Godliness looks like, so that they can see the Creators program played out in their thick.

We are to walk in religion as we communicate to others the truth that God is the reply to every job. He created us to laud Himself through our life ‘s walk but we can non carry through this without the Gospel message. It is Christ that allows us to be reconciled back unto God. The godly and holy individual is able to be in entire bid of their behaviour unlike the cursed might anticipate. The saved individual is able to even look beyond his or her ain demands when of import determinations need to be made. Because of this, godly work forces and adult females make superb leaders, parents, instructors, and of class assistants. This desire to portion our love for Christ allows and even pushes the rhythm of discipleship to prevail which is the great committee all Christians have been given.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, stating, “ All authorization has been given to Me in Eden and on Earth. Travel hence and do adherents of all the states, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, learning them to detect all things that I have commanded you ; and lo, I am with you ever, even to the terminal of the age. ” Amen. ( Matthew 28:18-20 New International Version )

God ‘s Role in the Procedure

God is the ground we are here. In the Christian position of life and this universe in which we live the job is sin. Because of wickedness we are non able to voyage life in a manner that genuinely meets every demand. In God we can seek out topographic points in our lives where our behaviours and our picks have non lined up with the Bibles. The Holy Bible clearly plenty states how we are to carry on ourselves in about every aspect of life that truly affairs. Unlike the vague and ephemeral nature of medical and psychological theories, God has given us clearly stated criterions from which to measure our lives and our behaviours in the Bibles. He has given us the Bible to analyze, the Holy Spirit to learn and steer us, and of class His Son to salvage our psyches so that we can be redeemed back unto Him.

“ All Scripture is God-breathed and is utile for learning, call on the carpeting, rectifying and preparation in righteousness, so that the adult male of God may be exhaustively equipped for every good work. ” ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17 New International Version )

Secular or secular counsellors and psychological science do non hold any sort of stable or consistent step by which to bet on behaviour or morality. This leads to issues like moral relativism and flexible criterions in social behaviours. That does non intend that Christian counsellors can non use medical specialty or psychological science in assisting though. The information merely needs to be viewed through the eyes of Bible foremost. I genuinely believe that medical specialty and scientific discipline are godly chases and that God has inspired many of these enterprises for our improvement.

“ Then you will cognize the truth, and the truth will put you free ” ( John 8:32 New International Version )

Duty of the Therapist

Counselors are responsible to their clients and demand to make what is expected and what is suited in their mode of intervention. It is non plenty that we merely discuss personal facts and feelings. Counseling is existent work and we need to do our clients understand this and commit to the assignments and Sessionss. Furthermore, Cavanagh states that, “ The counsellor agrees to supply attention, cognition, accomplishments, energy, honestness, strength and hope. ” We can non take on the duty for clients behavior outside of reding session. ( Cavanagh & A ; Levitov, 1982/aˆ‹2002 ) And harmonizing to Jay E. Adams, counsellors must besides “ be directing, ” which means that the counsellor must be acquainted with the Bibles and should develop accomplishments in covering with clients based upon the Word of God. This allows the counsellor to cover with clients in a manner that shows “ deep concern ” and yet steer them in a manner that addresses the power and authorization of Bible. The assistant ideally needs to be immersed in the apprehension of the Bibles to the point where their personality and the scriptural presuppositions they have learned and lived go one in the same. It is an identical outlook from what we desire of our curates and curates that they understand their topographic point in God ‘s program for humanity and their topographic point as boies and girls of God. If we are successful in this enterprise we will be taking people to Jesus and a new manner of life. Never should we put our personal issues or desires before the authorization of Bible because Bible leads to sanctification in Christ which is the foundation of our work. ( Adams. J, 1973/aˆ‹1986 ) Adams besides points out that there are no jobs that are non answered in Bible. He farther states, “ there is a scriptural solution to every job, ” and “ Jesus was tested in every manner that the remainder of us are, ” yet He remained without wickedness. God has given us the Word so that we can take portion in every good enterprise because we have been prepared for every possibility. ( Adams, 1973/aˆ‹1986 )

Personality

We are responsible for our behavior regardless of our race, socioeconomic background, or any other association that is frequently brought up as a justification and alibi for hapless behavior. Mulholland ‘s “ Shaped By the Word ” discusses at length the nature of religious formation. He states that it is the procedure of being conformed to the image of Christ for the interest of others. Religious formation is a procedure that takes clip and is a patterned advance from simple initial belief and religion to a more complex adulthood. This book states stridently that modern people will probably hold a job with undergoing extended and clip devouring sustained attempts in order to alter. The writer besides asserts that religious formation is non merely for church leading, but it is to be the “ cardinal world of our being. ” By that the writer is stating that we are being shaped by our determinations and our experiences either into the image of Christ or into something else. Whether we realize it or non we are undergoing changeless religious transmutation. Either we are going worldly, or we are going more and more like Christ.

The natural or iniquitous individual is traveling to seek and command, or to pull strings everything and everyone about them to break run into their desires and demands. It takes a great trade to acquire person to let themselves to be conformed and that is why the Gospel is so of import. The writer describes this as, “ a reversal of the negative religious formation of our civilization. ” “ It reverses our function from being the accountant of secular objects to being the object of the loving intents of God who seeks to steer us into integrity. ” We change from a “ being, ” of kinds into God ‘s creative activity. Bible is really of import in this procedure of conforming to the image of Christ. Bible is what shows us and learn us what the possibilities are in populating a Christ-like world and being. The Author comments that one of the more hard truths in religious formation is that it is inseparable from our relationships with others. Our relationship with God can non be of a personal affair. It should be a major force in our twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours lives. ( Mulholland, 1985/2000 )

Assessment Issues

Cavanagh, in “ The Counseling Experience ” clearly states that an incorporate attack to guidance and intervention is more advantageous than merely a secularized curative option. The constituents of our behaviour are many and they are multifaceted. There are biological, sociological, cultural and several other drivers of our single behavior and behaviour. He states that whereas in the past clinicians chose a individual footing for intervention and appraisal that there is so much available to us now that carries virtue that it is in the client ‘s best involvement to utilize these more inclusive chances to handle them. All options are considered from medical and physical testing, to psychological appraisals that could demo a demand for the disposal of medicines or farther medical interventions. Once this is all attempted it is easier to make up one’s mind whether guidance could be good to the person. Cavanagh farther provinces that even assistants that do non handle clients with serious emotional or mental upsets could profit from larning about the medical theoretical account of intervention and multiaxial diagnosing. The counsellor is expected to cultivate working professional relationships with doctors, psychologists, head-shrinkers and spiritual leaders among others. Again, this is considered to be a responsible and acceptable manner to make up one’s mind who is traveling to be referred, or treated, and it allows the counsellor to take a competent professional to direct referrals to who is likely a specializer in their field who could guarantee a positive result for the client. ( Cavanagh & A ; Levitov,1982/2002 ) It is of import to indicate out for elucidations sake that all interventions need to be such that they correspond with scriptural presuppositions and acceptable methods of intervention and the plausibleness of a positive result and safety for the client involved. That being said, it is hard to reason with such a comprehensive intervention program. I know that I would experience really comfy with this degree of coaction for myself or even a household member.

The Prevalence of Anxiety and its Part in Psychological Disorders

Anxiety is a symptom of fright and the antithesis of fright is love. That means that the reply to dying behaviour is frequently God because He is love. Sometimes fright is based in the uncomfortableness that arises as a consequence of hapless behaviour or bad determination doing which can be straight related to our Christian walk and worldview. Our actions all have effects and sometimes the penalties that result from them. The first measure in intervention is to make up one’s mind whether the object of fright is appropriate or non. I enjoy runing so I ever have the idea that I might someday meet a bear. That is a justifiable fright where I hunt whereas the fright of mice or a typical spider is non legitimate. A big bear could easy catch a individual where the other animals could non. Peoples with specific phobias experience powerful fright responses to a peculiar object or state of affairs like spiders, inordinate highs, or cramped infinites. The strength of terror is typically inappropriate to the existent degree of danger and is acknowledged by the client being unreasonable or irrational. This anxiousness and fright leads to an inability to pull off regular day-to-day life and activities. Excessive degrees of fright can take to the turning away of common, mundane state of affairss. Simply put, we can populate in a province of love towards God and adult male or, we can populate in fright of them because we believe that we are in danger. ( Adams, 1973/aˆ‹1986 )

26 ” So make non be afraid of them. There is nil concealed that will non be disclosed, or hidden that will non be made known. 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daytime ; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28Do non be afraid of those who kill the organic structure but can non kill the psyche. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destruct both psyche and organic structure in snake pit. 29Are non two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet non one of them will fall to the land apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the really hairs of your caput are all numbered. ( Matthew 10:26-30 New International Version )

Biblical Understanding and Treatment of Mental Illness and Related Issues

Gary R. Collins in “ Christian Guidance ” explains that the Bible does non explicate mental upsets per say but, it does give us a greater understanding about the human status and adult male ‘s state of affairs as a created being. In the Bible we can larn about virtuousness, behaviour, and adult male ‘s iniquitous nature. What the Bible shows us about wickedness is readily seen in our society today. We see materialism, power, and the relentless felon and amoral province of semisynthetic establishments. We besides can see that God has made a manner for us to avoid the ultimate penalty for wickedness through the Gospel message and that trusters in the Church are to care for those with all mode of unwellness or demand. Bible does nevertheless mention to many emotions that are straight connected to mental and behavioural upsets. Collins lists many emotions and provinces like, “ choler, lecherousness, green-eyed monster, enviousness, aspiration, restlessness, a deficiency of self-denial, binges, matrimonial unfaithfulness, gluttony, inebriation, prevarication, force, self-destruction and several other pertinent illustrations. ” Collins goes on to explicate that non all mental upsets are the consequence of wickedness or hapless behaviour. He contrasts the predicament of Nebuchadnezzar who became sick because of his uncalled-for refusal to obey God ‘s bids and Job who was an unsloped adult male who was apparently afflicted for grounds outside of his influence. But it is understood that all mental and physical upsets are the symptoms of this iniquitous universe regardless of one ‘s personal duty. ( Collins, 2007 )

The Topographic point of Religious Growth in the Healing Procedure

Harmonizing to Shults and Sandage in, “ Transforming Spirituality ” spiritualty has two chief effects on the individual. They are a distinguishable motive towards action or, a appeasement of fright, anxiousness, and other emotions. Both the rousing and the soothing as the writers describe are necessary depending on the demands of the client. It is likewise noted that the work of the Holy Spirit in the truster is to learn, steer, inmate and comfort depending on the state of affairs. What we are seeking to make is learn our clients who God is and who they are in relation to Him. We are in kernel engaging in the action of discipleship. We want our patients to understand that in Jesus Christ their wickednesss are forgiven and that the ground that they have non lived carry throughing lives is that they merely did non hold the right way or motive. Bing forgiven is one of the most powerful events we can see. For a individual who has been stuck in a spiral of negative effects it is of the extreme importance that they know that they can go something different than they have of all time been. A stealer that no longer bargains is non a stealer any longer. Neither is the fornicator or the prevaricator who has been forgiven and has been changed through sound instruction and the individual and work of the Holy Spirit.

What we want is for people to merely seek their worth from their personal relationship to God because He does non alter like society does. The two effects of religious growing mentioned before are so really needed. The aching single demands to be made to experience safe and understood before they can truly prosecute in serious work with a counsellor or assistant. Then as they begin to see and grok their ain growing they are driven to work out their religion and their apprehension in new ways. Truly there is a clip to be still but, there is besides a clip to move on our new penetrations and the new personality we have acquired. ( Shults & A ; Sandage, 2006/aˆ‹2007 )

Bible Based Counseling Goals, Strategies and Techniques of Change

The end of the Christian counsellor is to assist clients turn in their ability to love God and those who surround them. We want to enable personal alterations in sanctity and religious deepness. This I believe is the manner that we can assist enable clients to run into the challenges of this life in a manner that glorifies God. The Gospel is the reply to the wickedness job of world and Bible is what we will learn with. Prayer and speculation upon God cements our relationship with Him. We believe that the Bible is able to turn to every topographic point and job in life and that the development of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the ultimate reply. Using the Bibles we can larn to understand our jobs. We can happen replies and solutions to the most iniquitous and hard state of affairss in our lives. The Bible Teachs us to trust which allows us to be changed by our freshly formed religion and the workings of the Holt Spirit. Even Christ taught by utilizing Bible in His ministry so we should besides utilize it as our chief tool. We besides need to maintain in head that there might be a medical issue involved in our client ‘s jobs. Because of this we need to work with doctors and other specializers when necessary. Peter the apostle said, “ His Godhead power has granted to us everything refering to life and godliness, through the true cognition of Him Who called us ” ( 2 Peter 1:3 New International Version )

Our end is the Biblical alteration to our heads which need to be aligned with the Word. These alterations in bend can transform the bosom of a individual which is more good than merely changing 1s behaviour or personal state of affairs. Because of this guidance should give the client a biblical apprehension of their job. It should make lucidity of the Bibles in respects to the job at manus and it ‘s declaration. It should besides set forth a reverent program or solution to the job, and it should stop with a program and end to better populate your life as a Christian. The terminal consequence is that we become more similar Jesus. He is the end.

Understanding, Reacting to and Managing Client Resistance to Biblical Schemes

Whether or non a client wholly buys into Biblical guidance as an reply to their personal issues is about immaterial in my position. We can initiate the topic with them and if it is rejected we will still advocate from our worldview as Christians. It is non as if the Bible does non incorporate truth that can be used indirectly. God ‘s Word is found in many of our initiation paperss and even in the legal Hagiographas of this state. So, the Biblical presuppositions that we work with are still valid whether or non they are entirely accepted by any individual or personality.

We have to be able to demo that we understand the troubles inherent in a client ‘s inquiring for aid and that we appreciate their single state of affairss. The client has to work from their ain frame of mention and with the mental and emotional abilities that they presently have. Our occupation is to make an ambiance where they feel safe and secure in the thick of sometimes overmastering personal feelings, emotions and new worlds. All types of opposition are a likely possibility but, one time we get to the point where a true curative relationship has been built we can be of more influence and are more likely to integrate the reading of Bible and treatments about scriptural subjects more readily. There merely has to come a point where as counsellors we are trusted by the clients enough that they allow us to take them where they need to travel, which is to the Gospel. ( Cavanagh & A ; Levitov, 1982/aˆ‹2002 )

The Intent of Psychology

Psychology taken on its ain virtues is a pseudo-science at best and can non stand entirely on its ain virtuousnesss as other scientific disciplines do. Science is founded on theories and Torahs, with Torahs being foundational to ongoing work. Psychology does non hold any peculiar Torahs to look into or equilibrate theoreticians in their work. What does look to go on is that political and societal forces seem to utilize psychological science for their ain terminals and improvement. The Church and our society are in danger of being overtaken by assorted social militant groups that see Christianity and, Judeo-christian morality as a menace to their hereafter achievements. I believe that this work started in our colleges and universities early in the last century. American schools like Harvard and Yale and, England ‘s Oxford and Cambridge wholly began as Christian establishments that now teach development and unbelieving idea specifically. These are left-of-center tilting political groups that are anti-capitalist, anti-American, and Anti-God. In my ain seminary coursework, I have encountered text book reading affecting constructs like societal justness which in my sentiment have no topographic point in a Christian worldview. Social justness would seek to take by force that which has been earned so that it could be randomly given to person else. Nowhere in Bible is mentioned any type of forced giving or anything but an person ‘s salvation through Christ whereas societal justness calls for group or sweeping salvation through the redistribution of wealth and chance. Why should my household suffer for the workss of both black and white slave bargainers and proprietors and what they did 100s of old ages ago? My ascendants did non populate here, nor do we presently benefit from our ethnicity so in kernel we are being stolen from through purportedly “ legal ” agencies. In my head that makes us slaves to this new government.

There are other countries of concern like the DSM. It appears that the American Psychiatric Association can with small fanfare alteration pervert activities into mainstream and acceptable behaviours. This excessively is an onslaught on the Church and a society founded on Biblical rules.

We do non desire or necessitate to wholly incorporate Christian religion with Psychology but, we dare non remain uninvolved in this country of survey or it will be used against us and society will go on to be corrupted. I believe that I have outlined the mode in which positive integrating on our ain footings could be established which is through Tan ‘s description of purposeful mentoring and personal relationships with professors and healers with important apprehension and religious adulthood. The extended and knowing usage of Christian clinical supervisors throughout preparation enables counsellors to develop integrating and clinical accomplishments that are Christ-centered, Biblical and well-matched to both Christian and non-believing clients ( Tan, 2009 ) .