A Christian Approach to Psychology

It is essential that Christians studying psychology respect the inspiration and authority of the Bible. We must maintain a commitment to the authority and inspiration of the Bible and not underestimate the corrupting, distorting, and destructive influence of sin on human thinking. We need to remember that God is Truth and that ultimately there will be no conflict between true psychology and a Christian worldview.

Christians studying and working in psychology must be faithful to Scripture, not compromise their Christian worldview assumptions, and must understand modern psychology’s historical roots, philosophical assumptions, and empirical methods.

Our study of psychology must be more than a curiosity to discover something new and interesting about people. Christians studying and working in psychology must increase the body of evidence that supports a Christian worldview and effectively communicate that it is logical, internally consistent, and meaningful. We must see a spiritual purpose to our study.

When a non-Christian recognizes that he has accepted as truth (by faith) psychology’s philosophical assumptions, he may be closer to accepting God’s Truth (by a saving faith). Christians studying psychology have, among their classmates and professors, a ripe mission field indeed.

We should humbly answer those who attack Christianity on psychological grounds with a sound apologia. We must provide a solid defense for our own assumptions. We cannot arrogantly claim that we have all the answers or that we can “prove” our positions. We must be willing to hold contradictory beliefs until better data or clearer revelation reveals that there is no genuine contradiction.