psycholoy of christian in one perspecrive

8/13/2019 Psycholoy of Christian in One Perspecrive

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Teaching the History of Christian

Psychology:

Looking at the past, pointing to the future

Philip G. Monroe, PsyD

Michael R. McFee, PsyDwww.wisecounsel.wordpress.com


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What is Christian psychology?

Akin to asking what is psychology (what isnt

within the scope of psychology?)

We expect to have many permutations and modalities

And yet we expect to have some distinctives High value of the biblical text in shaping the field and

our gaze (different form early psychology of religion

focus)

Also connectivity to the stream of Christian thought(e.g., biblical theology/anthropology, ecclesiology,

eschatology, philosophy, etc.)


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Histories of psych. often contain:

Great men/celebrationist approach

Start with the Cartesian dilemma and the

beginnings of modernist divorcing fact and faith

ending with James psychology of religion Modernist assumptions unchallenged though

nods given to Kuhn and Gadamer

Atomism, subfields emerging Primary emphasis on clinical psychology &

therapy as a field/industry (last 100 years)


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What might be missing

Key content areas Prior to Descartes?

Pastoral care streams? Theologies of persons? Otherdisciplines? Fundamentalist-modernist debates

Significant depth in area of critical thinking andepistemologies exposure and analysis

Exposure to emerging models

Key pedagogical methods

Do students leave the course with the view tocontinued study and how it relates to their currentpractice as therapist?

Real connections outside of the discipline


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Missing content: sufficient critical

analysis of modernism in psychology

Criticism of Modernism, possible re-

connections between faith and fact

Modernist assumptions

Fundamentalism/modernism debates

Evangelical buy-in to modernism

Postmodern criticisms and philosophy of

science


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Anton Boisen

Thus it is come to pass that the erstwhile Queen of theSciences under whose protective care our colleges andeven our state universities were founded and nurtured istoday a monarch without a throne. The men of todayworship at the shrine of science and give to it the same

unthinking devotion which formerly was given toaccepted religious dogmas. Meanwhile the termscientific has become a sort of shibboleth usedcommonly with only the haziest conception of itsfundamental principles. [1]

[1]Boisen, A.T. (1936). The exploration of the innerworld: a study of mental disorder and religiousexperience. NY: Harper & Brothers, p. 182.


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Responding to Descartes

Titchner

Structuralism

Introspectionism

Helmholtz

Mechanism

Fechner

Double-aspect monism

LockeAssociationism

Sensation

Empiricism

Empiricism

LiebnizVitalism

Innate Ideas

Rationalism

Rationalism

Descartes


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Following Descartes, cont

Descartes

Mechanism

Empiricism

Holism, Vitalism,

Rationalism

Physiology

Kant, Wundt, & JamesModernist Sciences


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Current Modern Dogma Division

(thanks to Descartes)

Facts

Objective

Public Reason

Reasonable

Men

Natures God

Deist faith

Values

Subjective

Private Emotion

Irrational/faith

Women and children

Family God

Pietism

So, where does theology/biblical studies fit?


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Missing content: theology of

persons

Theological anthropology

Doctrine of sin/evil

Doctrine of salvation and change

Cornelius Plantinga

Stanley Grenz


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Missing content: pastoral care

traditions

Early church

Medieval church

Puritan traditions American church traditions


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Puritan Thought

High water mark of Pastoral care!

Richard SibbesChristopher Love

Richard Baxter


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Puritan Thought

High View of Scripture

Strong Doctrine of Sin

Sophisticated view of Persons


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Spiritual Depression vs.

Mental depression


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Melancholy is a dark and dusky humour which

disturbs both the soul and the body, and the

cure of it belongs to the physician [rather] than tothe divine .... It is a humour that unfits a man for

all sorts of services, but especially those that

concern his soul, his spiritual estate, his

everlasting condition. The melancholic persontries the physician, grieves the minister, wounds

relations and makes sport for the Devil. ...

Melancholy is a disease that works strange

passions, strange imaginations and strange

conclusions.

Thomas Brooks (1669).A Cabinet of Jewels. Works v.3.


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Lewis on Baxter and Brooks

In all this there is evidence enough of somesound psychology in the Puritan approach tomental depressions, especially in their realawareness of the distinction between mentaland spiritual depression. It is not only amusing

that Baxter includes into the written sermonquoted above several pages of medical'remedies' and an amazing medley of antiquepotions and treatments: it also shows anawareness that, as Thomas Brooks puts it in a

footnote, 'The cure of melancholy belongs ratherto the physician than to the divine, to Galen thanto Paul',101and that the foregoing counselrelates not so much to the condition as to theChristian in the condition. (p.89)


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Teaching Method

Exposure to Puritan Thought

Spiritual and Mental Depression

Read through various quotes. Compare Mental Depression with DSM.

Lecture on 7 reasons the H.S. allows or

causes a Spiritual Depression.


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Spiritual Depression

The Genius of Puritanism by Peter

Lewis. Soli Deo Gloria Publications

(1977, 1996) Morgan, PA

7 reasons of the Holy Spirit to allow or

bring a depression:


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Spiritual Depression Rationale

1. Out of sovereignty.2. To show us the comfort, and our

dependence upon him for them.

3. To develop the various Christian graces

in us.

4. To weaken and prevent sin.

5. To chastise for gross sin.

6. To keep believers near himself.

7. That believers may help others from their

own experience.


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Evangelical Stigma

Alternative tosimplistic and poptheology

attributions withinthe evangelicalculture, such as:

unconfessed sin self-pity lack of faith character weakness

lack of piety the effect of sin weakness of will lack of self

discipline1,2

1.White et al, (2003, Spring). Christians and depression: attributions as mediators of

the depression-buffering role of Christian social support. Journal of Psychologyand Christianity, 22(1), 49 - 58

2. McCandless, J. B. (1991). The Church Confronting Adult Depression: A Challenge.Counseling and Values, 35(2), 104-113


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Contemporary Models of CP

Students need skills to evaluate current

and future theoretical/practical models of

change

What does this person or model observe

about the world, God, humans, brokenness,

change and how things work?

What assumptions do they make about life What worldview supports and encourages

their observations?


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Teaching about assumptions

Many significant models in psychology and

psychiatry have been founded on an

attempt to protect private faith in light of

empiricist obligations Ex: Psychiatric hospital care of the 1830s

under Samuel Woodward. MI as a somatic

disease but treated with compassionate moraleducation. Impact of his assumptions?


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q y

Psychology may challenge interpretation of

Scripture or theological formulations.

Parallel Model (Two Book)


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q

Overlap Model

Integration takes place in the overlap,

where both areas speak of the same things.

y


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Filter Model

qy

Psychology is passed through the filter of

Christianity so what is left is pure and good y.


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Fermentation Model

q y

Two areas put together to make a new field,

Christian Psychology

xy+ =


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Recasting

q y

Bits of ytaken out, observed, recast, and

used to enrich the theological model (or to

provoke or illustrate)

y

y

yy

y


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Position Papers

Primary Goals:

1. To help students prepare for in-

class time.2. To direct students to specific

reading.

3. Cultivate critical thinking andownership of the material.


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Position Papers

Secondary Goal:

Functions as a gate keeping tool.

- It directly addresses entitlement around lateness

issues.- The nature of the task with a time demand allows

for a readily received deadline.

- A late position paper is either irrelevant or unfairto the rest of the class.


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Position Papers

Provide brief directions that orient students

toward the materials that they will read.

Address those issues where students

need to see and evaluate the evidence for

themselves.

Students compare/contrast or write outtheir personal ideas or opinions.


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What are the advantages of each

type of tracking and reflecting?

C: "I feel sad and lonely."

T: "You are feeling sad andlonely."

C: "Yes, I feel miserable."

T: "So youre feeling miserable."C: "I can't stand it anymore. If I

have to talk about this onemore time I am going to go outof my mind."

T: "You feel like you cant stand

this and you're not going to beable to take it anymore."

C: "I feel sad and lonely.

T: "Hmm, is this about the samewhen we talked on thephone?"

C: "Yes, I feel miserable."

T: "You sound quite distressed, isthat something you would likeme to help you with?"

C: "Yes, I can't stand it anymore. Ineed to do something. If I haveto talk about this one more

time I am going to go out of mymind."

T: "You sound exasperated, isthat how you are feeling rightnow?"


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Position Papers

Grading Structure:

Position Papers should comprise a

significant portion of the final grade with

serious consequences for missed

papers. (20%-25% suggested)

Position Papers should not be required

for every class session (suggested use isone third to half of class sessions).


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Position Papers

Position Papers should be pass/fail.

Given a check if accepted.

Returned with a comment if rejected. Late position papers are not accepted.

Failed position papers result in points

subtracted from total grade (e.g. 2 pointssubtracted for each failed paper).


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Syllabus

Position Papers: Position papers are not miniature termpapers.They are short but serious exercises thatprepare you to read the text and to participate in classdiscussions. How long should a position paper be? Onlylong enough to complete the assignment- no more, andno less. Many position papers will be just a single page,

others a few pages longer. But there is never a reasonto make the paper longer than it needs to be. Positionpapers must be prepared beforethe class period inwhich they are due and turned in during classnoexceptions. Attempts to prepare these during class and

then to turn them in will be considered an honor codeinfraction. Each paper will be given either a check(denoting paper accepted) or a note explaining why thepaper is unacceptable. Two points will be deducted fromyour final grade for each missing position paper (up to apossible 25 points).


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Syllabus

Late Position Papers: If you feel your

paper was late for a valid reason, please

attach a note of explanation (e.g. I was on

my deathbed last night) and then turn inthe paper to me. I will let you know

whether the paper is finally accepted.

.


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Irrelevance of Late Position Papers

Late papers are irrelevant because they

are a tool to prepare for class interaction.

It is unfair to write using peer ideas once

you have participated in the class

discussion


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Resources

Bibliographic

Philosophy of science; Modernist critique

Pastoral care history and tradition

Modern integration debates

The new christian psychology

Critical histories of psychology

Theology of personhood


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Phil. of Science

Evans, C.S. (1996). Wisdom and humanness in

psychology(reprint ed). Regent College

Publishing.

Kuhn, T. (1970). The structure of scientificrevolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago

Press.

Mahrer, A.R. (2000). Philosophy of science and

the foundations of psychotherapy.American

Psychologist, 55,1117-1125.


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Pastoral Care Tradition

Boisen, A.T. (1936). The exploration of the inner world: a study of mentaldisorder and religious experience. NY: Harper & Brothers.

Clebsch, W.A. & Jaekle, C.R. (1994). Pastoral Care in historical perspective

Coloquhoun, J. (1998).Spiritual Comfort(Don Kistler, Trans.). Morgan, PA:Soli Deo Gloria Publications. (Original work published 1814)

Grob, G.N. (1966). The state and the mentally ill: a history of the Worcester

State Hospital, 1830-1920. Chapel Hill, NC: U of N. Carolina Press. Lewis, P. (1996). The genius of Puritanism. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria

Publicatioons.

Monroe, P.G. (2006). Why are you downcast, O my soul: Lessons from thePuritans on helping the hopless. Edification, 2:3, 1-8. [contains bibliographyof numerous Puritan writers on counseling related topics]

Rogers, T. (2002). Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy (Don

Kistler, Trans.). Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria Publications. (Original workpublished 1691)


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Integration Debates

Beck, J.R. (2005). Balanced integration: A reply to Maier & Glass. Journal of Psychology & Christianity, 24, 51-55. Beck, J.R. (2003). The integration of psychology and theology: An enterprise out of balance. Journal of

Psychology & Theology, 22, 20-29

Beck, J.R. (Ed.). (1997). Sola Scriptura. Journal of Psychology & Christianity, 16:4, 293-362.

Hurding, R.F. (1985). The tree of healing: Psychological & Biblical foundations for counseling and pastoral care.Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library. (pp 212-242 only).

Maier, B.N. & Glass, J.H. (2005). A matter of balance? A response to Beck (2003). Journal of Psychology &Christianity, 24, 46-50.

Monroe, P.G. (1997). Building bridges with biblical counselors. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 25, 28-37.

Nash, R.H. (1993). Great divides: Understanding the controversies that come between Christians. ColoradoSprings, CO: NavPress.

Powlison, D. (1993). Critiquing modern integrationists. Journal of Biblical Counseling, 11:3, 24-34.

Powlison, D. (1996a). Competent to counsel? The history of a conservative protestant anti-psychiatry movement.Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Pennsylvania.

Powlison, D. (1996b). Modern therapies and the Churchs faith. Journal of Biblical Counseling, 15:1, 32-41.

Powlison, D. (2000). Affirmations and denials: A proposed definition of Biblical Counseling. Journal of BiblicalCounseling, 19:1, 18-25.

Powlison, D. (2002). Does the shoe fit? Journal of Biblical Counseling, 20:3, 2-15.

Serrano, N. (2003). A history of the Christian Association of Psychological Studies: 1954-1978. Paper presented atthe 2003 CAPS National conference.

Smith, William P. (1996). Authors and arguments in Biblical counseling: A review and analysis. Journal of BiblicalCounseling, 15:1, 9-20.

Smith, Winston T. (2000). Dichotomy or Trichotomy? How the doctrine of man shapes the treatment ofdepression. Journal of Biblical Counseling, 18:3, 21-29.


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Critical histories of psychology

Cushman, P. (1990). Why the self is empty: Toward a historically situatedpsychology.American Psychologist, 45,599-611.

Cushman, P., & Gilford, P. (1999). From emptiness to multiplicity: The self at the year2000. Psychohistory Review, 27,15-31.

Cushman, P. (1995). Constructing the self, constructing America. Reading, MA:Addison-Wesley.

Dawes, R. (1994). House of Cards: psychology and psychotherapy build on myth.

New York: Free Press. [Ch. 8 on reserve] Morawski, J. (ed.) (1988). The rise of experimentation in American Psychology. New

Haven: Yale Univ. Press.

Pickren, W.E. (2000). A whisper of salvation: American psychologists and religion inthe popular press, 1884-1908.American Psychologist, 55,1022-1024.

Robinson, D.N. (2000). Philosophy of psychology at the turn of the century.AmericanPsychologist, 55, 1018-1021.

Tweny, R.D., Budzynski, C.A. (2000). The scientific status of American psychology in1900.American Psychologist, 55, 1014-1017.

Wozniak, R.H. (1992). Mind and Body: Rene Descartes to William James.Washington: APA.


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Theologies of personhood

Burke, T.J. (ed.) (1987). Man and mind: A Christian theory of personality.Hillsdale College Press.

Gregersen, Niels, H., Drees, Willem B., & Gorman, Ulf (2000). The humanperson in science and theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Grenz, S.J. (2003). The social imago: The image of God and thepostmodern (loss of) self. In C. Wilkins (ed.) The papers of the Henry LuceIII Fellows in theology, vol. VI of Series in Theological Scholarship andEducation. Pittsburgh, PA: ATS.

Grenz, S.J. (2001). The social god and the relational self: A Trinitariantheology of the Imago Dei. Louisville: Westminster John Knox.

Sedgwick, Peter. (2001). Descartes to Derrida: An introduction to EuropeanPhilosophy. Malden, MA: Blackwell.

Schrag, Calvin O. (1997). The self after postmodernity. New Haven, CT:

Yale University Press. Schults, L. (2003). Reforming Theological Anthropology: After the

philosophical turn to relationality. Wm. B Eerdmans.

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