Customer Reviews

Psychology And The Church: Critical Questions, Crucial Answers

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The author states that humanistic psychology especially as championed in
Christian" psychology is to Bible-believing Christians subversive and
destructive. He gives for this mainly 5 points. 1. Humanistic
psychology`s theories came from the atheistic, anti-christian founders
of psychotherapy like Freud or Jung, whose concepts qualify for what the
Scriptures condemn as the counsel of the ungodly" (Psalm 1,1).He asks,
can from a poisonous well come healthy water? 2. The humanistic
emphasis upon loving and esteeming self rejects the biblical commandment
to deny self, which Jesus admonished us to do in Matthew 16,24. 3. The
increasing focus on esteeming oneself gradually distorts a believer`s
understanding of the truth regarding the sinful nature of man and hides
conviction of sin in a morass of humanistic rationalizations. 4. the
subjective feelings orientation of humanistic psychology undermines the
absolutes of God`s objective truth. 5. as the leaven of humanism grows
in the mind of a believer, this interpretation of the Scriptures
gradually shifts from what God has indeed said (Genesis 3,1) to "a way
which seems right unto a man but in the end it leads to certain death"
(Proverbs 14,12).
He also says, that the fruits of humanistic psychology are already seen
as destructive in the American society where the morale is on the
decline everywhere, the criminality rate rising and the families
breaking up. Psychology says there is no sin, only hurt feelings and low
self-esteem. To set hope in a renewed "Self" is a false gospel, and
contradicting God`s word which says that on should be "dying to
self" (Matthew 16,24) , crucifying the self (Galatians 2,20),
sacrificing the self (Romans 12,1) and being delivered from one`s self
(Luke 4,18).
He has made the observation that the power to build opinions is in the hands of a few who make a fortune. And the Christian churches play a supporting role to all this, leaving alone the dedication to the only one who can not only safe souls but also heal them. Only Jesus Christ is the healer and redeemer, not psychology.
Psychology is in its worst forms mythology enriched with theories of sexually and spiritually shipwrecked people like Freud or Jung who even dealt with occultism.
"Replacing God with Self leads to the central dogma of the religion of
psychology: mankind is innately good."
It is true that the Bible teaches that man in innately not good. Therefore the conclusions of the author are right from the standpoint of a Christian who cares for regarding Gods Word as faultless.
It says in 2Tim 3,16 about itself, that it is good for reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, or that it is good for making man a new creation and the old things pass away (1 Cor 15,3-4). But here you have, according to the author, the next problem: many Christians doubt the word of God. Even the Catholic church does not give full credit to the Bible at the price of denying the Bibles inerrancy, sufficiency and authority to erect the own inerrancy, sufficiency and authority. This is indeed a remarkable discovery of Hunt. Psychotherapy is, the author says, also a modern form of shamanism. In so far E.Fuller Torrey agreed with him when he said that: "The techniques used by western psychiatrists are, with few exceptions, on exactly the same scientific plane as the techniques used by witchdoctors."
The great Philosopher Karl Popper said: "Though posing as science
psychotherapy had in fact more in common with primitive myths than with
science and resembled astrology rather than astronomy." He could say so,
because Jung and other psychotherapists used astrology within their
methods.
In psychology, the author warns, virtue is ridiculed, evil is praised as good and liberating, biblical moral standards are mocked as the narrow-minded thinking of a past generation out of touch with todays`s reality. Maybe the people of Sodom and Gomorrah thought the same. Then seeds of this
liberal totalitarianism are sprouting even in evangelical circles, where
those who dare to oppose false teachings and the belittlement of sin are accused of division, are denied a voice from pulpits, radio and TV, and their books are refused.
Hunt gives also an answer to the question why the world embraces psychology so willingly. He cites 2Cor. 4,4: "the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not". And why is it that so many Christians join them? Because they love the world more than God, he says. Why should they reject psychology when they do not reject the rest of the world? Although Jesus commanded (1.John 2,15): "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." Or is it to escape the blame not to be "scientific" and be regarded as backward and inferior?
The main concern of the author is that psychology has redefined sin as sickness. So that it could excuse immorality and thereby encouraging it, drive the people further away from Christianity. The sinner is now diagnosed as in need of a therapy rather than being accountable and called upon to repent. Every kind of failure is excused as some kind of addiction. "Psychology has been rightly called the only profession that creates the diseases that it claims to cure."
Friends of the doctrine that the Scripture alone is necessary to cure people will find this book as an affirmation. Friends of psychology will have it difficult to sit through the whole book. They have something to digest.

I read this book after watching the documentary DVD and just by examining through the pages, It really gave me solid facts to Debunk Psychology Forever!! This book along with some other books from the Bobgans and other material coming from Psychologists who discredit's psychology, shed's light on issues that psychology claims can solve but in reality, it creates it's own problems. This book is a real blunt attack against "christian psychology"(which is really an oxymoron honestly speaking). It also helped me to stay away from dangerous 'psychotropic drugs' that psychologists prescribed to me when I was still seeing one. To those Genuine Christians who honestly want to seek answers about the dangers of psychology and to give some insights to the history of it's founders like Freud, Hung, Adler, this book is for you. It also helps Christians to have a more solid Biblical foundation to the truth of the Gospel.

My only reason for rating this book as four stars is that some portions of the book includes topics such as Dispensationalism and Eternal Security which to me is not suppose to be discussed in the book. Other than that, Dave and T.A. did an amazing job in researching and exposing some hidden truths about psychology, much as the same way they did in the Seduction of Christianity.

Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon operate an "anti-cult"/apologetics ministry called The Berean Call; they (particularly Hunt) have written many other books, of which The Seduction of Christianity: Spiritual Discernment in the Last Days is probably of most interest to readers of this book.

As the Publisher's Note to this 2008 book states, "this book is a revised and expanded compilation of articles, questions, and commentary from past issues of 'The Berean Call' newsletter."

Here are some representative quotations from the book:

Christian psychology "wasn't founded by Christians and is in fact anti-Christian. It doesn't come from the Bible but is simply an attempt to integrate the theories of atheists into the Bible in order to supply missing essentials for daily living that the Holy Spirit apparently failed to include. Does that sound reasonable?" (Pg. 9)
"So what's the problem with psychotherapy? According to numerous scientific studies, it rarely works (and then only superficially) and is known to be harmful. From a biblical perspective, it is an antichristian, religious counterfeit." (Pg. 40)
"Sadly, many conservative evangelical preachers and teachers of note ... bought into, taught, Christianized, and further popularized the concepts of self-love, self-esteem, self-worth, and self-image. It is the 'new priesthood' of Christian psychologists, however, with credentials that falsely imply the anointing of science, that has convinced both shepherds and sheep of the legitimacy of the theories and methods of humanistic psychology." (Pg. 56)
"(P)sychology is the most successful false gospel in leading both the world and the church astray." (Pg. 69)
"Psychology's redefining of sin as sickness has excused wickedness and thus encouraged it." (Pg. 166)

This book is a must read for everyone. Psychology is so overblown and deceptive but almost everyone believes its principles are vaild. Please purchase this book, it will open your eyes to the truth behind psychology, psycho therapy and more. It comes with a DVD that really adds to the value and content of this book.

Many people do not believe that the Bible can address and help them with their personal problems. What did Christians do before Psychology was invented? Please read Hebrews 11 to find out the serious trials believers went through in the past and came out victorious without Psychology--only relying on God and His Word.

Dave Hunt has truly researched this topic and the book documents all information. I highly recommend this book. It will educate you and you will never look at life's problems in the same way. You will come to know that God can and does meet all human needs and problems.

This a great video that deals with major issues from a Christian stand point. I would recommend for believers to buy it.

There are few books around about the psychological bias present in so many churches today.
The book is divided in three sections. The first two sections of this book are a collection of articles from T A McMahon and Dave Hunt, respectively.
As with all of McMahon and Hunt's books, there is really a lot of information in its pages.
I found the chapters about Islamic invasion, Alcoholic Anonimous and especially the one about the situation in the UK particularly fresh and relevant.
The third section is a collection of Q&A with Dave Hunt. This is probably the best part of the book, and the topics range from self esteem to psychological consequences of an abortion to the delusions of the "name-it-amd-claim-it" movement. Hunt always strives to give a biblical answer, not bending to the newest trends in the church.
The authors are admittedly not experts in the field of psychology but, as Hunt points out, their conclusions comes from the Bible rather than from knowledge of medicine.
All material was previously published as independent articles in The Berean Call newsletter and, although it has been updated, it is still quite redundant and sometimes repetitive.
In this latest book, Hunt's sarcasm reaches its peak, which ends up in straight out judgement and speaking in a derogatory way of various people, for example calling Sir John Marks Templeton "one of the most deluded man in the world" (p.130). I think a book like this one should concentrate on sound teaching, and let God do the judgement on the single persons.
Overall, this is a very intersting book, definitely worth a reading.
This book also contains a DVD, but it really adds nothing relevant to the book.