Customer Reviews

Integration of Psychology and Theology, The

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This book is wonderfully written, and helped me to be able to understand an integration process for the scientific study of Psychology, while continuing to use the truth of God's Word. Before I read this, I was reluctant to even discuss many of the prinicples of Psychology--discounting them because I assumed that it was completely unrelated to the Bible. Carter and Narramore present the point that "All truth is God's truth". Since many of the psychological theories have been proven true about the ways in which the mind works, they can be taken into consideration like any other scientific principle. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is seeking to understand more about the ways in which these two areas of study do not need to be separated anymore.

The integration of psychology and theology is a quick read which gives readers a look into the methods of knowing people. In the modern and postmodern era the scientific method is the most widely accepted method because it is the closest to having objective data. Carter and Narramore discuss how the objective data found from psychological research can be combined with the special revelation of the Bible. This books gives a good look at the ways science and faith have tried to be combined in the past and also their thoughts on how to combine science and faith in regards to therapy. The reason I like this book so much is because it shows that any fact found through science most likely will be backed up by Scripture unless the Bible is silent on the topic which is why research is so important. Because there are many issues today that the Bible does not give black and white answers to, yet research can give direction such as the development and nurture of kids according to their gender.

The authors are Christian psychologists who announce that psychology is

making inroads into areas traditionally considered the domain of

Christianity. They mean the process of healing sick souls,

traditionally being a field, of the Church and their representatives is

rightfully moving over to the doorsteps of psychologists and

psychiatrists.

But one might ask, is "sin", the centre problem of man according to the

Christian belief, not something modern psychology denies? The authors

think that taking over the competence by professionals, and they mean

psychology as the field of the professionals, would be the true

blessing of God. Why then has God waited 2 thousand years for this

blessing to come? And how did the first Christians do without? Where

were and are Christians deficient essentially when they got and get no

support form the psychology?

The authors see much potential in a scientific study of the human being.

Right so. They expect that objective data and well-constructed theories

will expand the understanding of God`s most complex creation. And they

believe that the insight of psychology can help to be more effectively

serving the needs of humans, even Christians. They think they can apply

psychology within the framework of faith. "We assume, that both

psychology and theology offer a great deal toward an understanding of

the human race".

Apparently the Christian authors believe in the concept of "all truth

is God`s truth, wherever it is found". But what do the authors think of

Christ`s claim to be the only healer? And that his "Divine power has

given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through

the knowledge of him" (2Pet 1,3). Is so called science superior to God and His Word? It is always amazing to see Christians contradict their own

concepts! They should be more straight otherwise they lose credibility! I would not recommend this book, because two things are linked together which naturally have nothing in common. The authors try it, but not convincing.