Product Description

Psychology has exploded across the academic and popular landscape in the last hundred years. Dozens of schools of thought have arisen and thousands of books have been written on the nature of our personalities, our development, our relationships and our inner well-being.

All of this has been of interest (and sometimes of concern) to Christians because of the importance we place on a correct understanding of human nature. Psychology often seems disconnected from, if not antithetical to, Christian perspectives on life. How do we relate our cherished Christian beliefs about persons to what secular versions of psychology tell us?

In this book are gathered four models of the relationship of psychology and Christianity. David Powlison (Westminster Theological Seminary) offers the biblical counseling model. The levels-of-explanation model is advanced by David G. Myers (Hope College), while Gary Collins (former executive director of American Association of Christian Counselors) introduces the integration model. The Christian psychology model is put forth by Robert C. Roberts (Baylor University).

Each of the contributors responds to the other essayists, noting points of agreement as well as problems they see. The editors also provide an introduction to the history of Christians and psychology as well as a conclusion that considers what might bind the four views together and how a reader might evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of each view.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39106 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 271 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780830822638
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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About the Author
Eric L. Johnson (Ph. D., Michigan State) is associate professor personality and theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and is a frequent contributor to the Journal of Psychology and Theology.

Stanton L. Jones (Ph.D., Arizona State) is provost of Wheaton College and coauthor (with Richard Butman) of Modern Psychotherapies.

Customer Reviews

Helpful but flawed
I am a huge fan of the "4 View" books IVP has published. They are always helpful and worth reading. This one I was particularly excited about. As a pastor who does alot of counseling, reads a lot on the topic, and is pursuing a DMin in the field, I really wanted a book that would help me get a handle on the various models available. While the book was informative, I really think its the least engaging of all the 4 views ones I have read.

My biggest problem was the way it seemed biased agianst the "Biblcial" model (one of the 4 views). Obviously, in every one of these books my own view (if I clearly fall into one of the 4 camps) will be roughly one-quarter of the book. It will be opposed by a 3 to 1 ratio. That's why you read these books. But what I found a little vexing was the way the editors framed the "Biblical" model in their long (and very informative) introductory essay. While giving a fairly balanced presentation of the other 3 models, the Biblical model is largely dismissed. The one figure mentioned is the founder of the movement, Jay Adams. That is appropriate, but the reader is left with the impression that the movement is essentailly Adams-ism. The fact is that the movement took Adams' initial insights and went in a direction that Adams has largely denounced. The book's author of the Biblical view section, for example, (David Powlison) is one who has been very critical of Adams (and vice versa). The editors' seeming disdain for the Biblical model also seems reflected in the concluding chapter.

Still, a helpful work. The packaging and the indeex and bibliograph are also very nice.

perplexing, but quite good
The format of 4 essay writers each writing their own essay and responding to the other three is fantastically done, even if some of the responses are a little non sequitur. The four positions presented are all rather similar to one another, so at times, it's hard to figure out who's really arguing for what. All of them respect psychology and are committed Christians. But, through the grand tradition of debate, all of them manage to mark out their territory effectively and respectfully. If the both pieces of the title appeal to you, then the book will not disappoint. If you're only interested in one or the other, however, this isn't your book.

A valuable read
This text was required for a class I am taking but is a great resource for anyone considering any type of counseling, pastoral care or intensive discipleship.