It is both necessary and beneficial for promoting the uniqueness and maturation of the field of psychology that issues of religion and spirituality be embraced by research psychologists and clinicians alike. This theme is the central message of Judeo-Christian Perspectives, an excellent text edited by Bill Miller and Harold Delaney. Encompassing a wide variety of topics from self-control to sexuality to struggles of the soul, this book demonstrates that psychology cannot do justice to the study of the person without examining the contributions and influences of religion. Using Jewish and Christian ideology, scriptures, and practices, the authors explore how current topics and research pursuits in psychology (including volition, motivation, personality, moral and spiritual development, sexuality, health and well-being, and personal change) might be broadened and advanced by acknowledging and integrating these spiritual perspectives. The book describes the crossroads at which psychology and religion currently stand, and it provides both theoretical considerations and practical recommendations to incorporate Jewish and Christian perspectives into psychological theory and research.
Judeo-Christian Perspectives provides an empirically-supported examination of the religion-psychology interface, suggesting that both assimilation and accommodation may be required to fully explore the nature of human beings. It is not written by or for a singular audience (e.g., orthodox Jews, evangelical Christians), but instead includes a diverse authorship that aims to reach an even more diverse field. Drawing from a wealth of scholarly research, this book proposes that psychology must move beyond the reductionism and materialism that has characterized much of its history in order to fulfill its namesake as "the study of the human psyche." Psychologists, regardless of their personal religious beliefs, have both an obligation and an opportunity to consider the impact of Judeo-Christian beliefs on their empirical pursuits and clinical practice. In light of the fact that a significant majority of Americans consider religious faith to be the most important influence in their lives, the integration of psychology and religion cannot be reduced to checking off a box on a demographic survey or other simplistic attempts to incorporate spirituality. The volume by Miller and Delaney goes beyond a basic consideration of religious factors to propose a collaborative dialogue or even a deeper integration of Judeo-Christian beliefs with psychology. The resulting effort is not a uniform research proposal (as even the various chapter authors have different conceptualizations and recommendations), but a challenge to the field to deliberately create opportunities for religious perspectives to influence and inform the whole of psychological study.
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