I don’t care to admit how long ago this was, but I was visiting my Aunt and Uncle’s church in Indiana as a young undergraduate psychology student. I had just chosen psychology as my new major and was understandably pretty excited. After the service, we went down to a potluck lunch and I sat next to a farmer who was likely in his 70’s. He asked where I went to school and what I was studying. When I told him, I was shocked and then angered by his response. He said, and I remember this clearly, “That’s not a real major. That’s just a bunch of nonsense from the devil!” I couldn’t believe that someone living in the 90’s would say such a thing, much less believe it! Over the last 30 years, however, I have come to not only understand why he said as much but also how he might have come to that conclusion.
My field admittedly tends to be a very secular science. Psychologists have done a tremendous amount of good in the world to be sure. On the flip side, psychology has caused its fair share of grief, unfortunately. Some of our most well-known psychologists wouldn’t exactly be confused with your local pastor. Some were unabashedly atheistic and borderline hostile to religious faiths of any kind, not just Christianity (Skinner). Others have promulgated the self-actualization of humanism and secularism as the ultimate goal in life (Rogers, Maslow). Still others have essentially written off all faiths as a mental health crutch and that God is just a make-believe father-figure we believe in to stave off all of those ‘daddy issues’ we suffer from (Freud). I have no problem telling you this because I believe that the science of psychology and the work of the church are deeply intertwined.
As I discussed briefly in my last blog post, I am of the firm belief that the study of psychology provides us a window into the very makeup and character of God Himself. All Christian denominations generally recognize that God created humankind in His image (Gen 1:27). If that is what we truly believe, then studying human thinking, feeling and behaviors allows us to better understand who God is. Of course, it is an imperfect model, but think about it this way: the basic emotions that God demonstrates throughout the Bible are the same ones we experience and act upon. God clearly expresses love, anger, sadness, joy, jealousy, and compassion. We do, too. While God doesn’t experience emotional swings like we do, He does have emotions on display throughout the Bible.
Famous theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper, in his lecture at the opening of the Free University in 1880, stated “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” This certainly includes all of science, which, clearly, God created for humanity to engage in the work of unfolding creation. Psychology belongs to God just as much as economics, engineering, music, art or writing. I believe strongly that God has equipped humanity with the intellectual ability to discern and understand the world that He created for us. This means, then, that we as Christians are compelled to study the brain, emotions, behaviors, feelings, mental health issues and everything else involved in the study of psychology as if it is God’s work for us—because it is!
Christians cannot simply wave away psychology because some of its practitioners and pioneers were and are not fellow believers. On the contrary, it is a mistake to do so. You wouldn’t refuse to attend an emergency room if half of the nurses and doctors weren’t Christians, would you? Do Christian car mechanics know more than non-Christians? Did the rack of ribs you smoked for the 4th of July come from a Christian farm? Would you only take medicine developed by a Christian scientist? The answers to these questions are generally no, because we understand that there are gifted practitioners in every field that don’t share our beliefs.
But Dr. Schuttinga, a student might say, those fields don’t rely on your beliefs in the same way the do for psychology. Well, yes and no. Let’s say a young woman wants to see a therapist for significant depression. She believes that God has abandoned her and that He isn’t listening anymore because He won’t end her depression that she has been praying for over a year to alleviate. She feels lost spiritually and alone. Should she see any therapist or a Christian therapist? Personally, I would recommend she see a Christian therapist for a faith-related issue over someone who has less understanding of the Christian faith. But here’s the reality of the situation: A Christian therapist is almost guaranteed to be using many of the same techniques and theories of counseling that a non-Christian therapist would. And depression is more complicated than just believing or feeling that God isn’t answering. What caused the depression in the first place? Are there other important, non-spiritual factors involved? Does the woman have a medical condition? Did she recently experience a traumatic event she has been keeping to herself?
People are incredibly complex, and so are the problems we face, be they social, economic, medical, or emotional, and God gives us many tools to help alleviate those problems. Clearly, not all of them have solutions we can just look up in the Bible. For that reason, Christians are called to be discerning and judicious in what kinds of tools we do choose to use. The science of psychology is certainly one of those tools that when utilized with care and discernment can be a true asset to providing relief for the suffering. God gave us psychology, so let us study it, practice it, and contribute to its flourishing and revelatory power. The more we know about ourselves, the more we might better understand God, as well.
