Page 62 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 2

Christian Psychology

Comments merely as a system of theological ideas, another psycho-
logical “theory” or metaphysical outlook. The biblical
on Agnes May’s terms for the states of the person who has been formed
“14 Theses on possibilities and by the Christian disciplines are the names given by Paul
the apostle to the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, forgive-
limits of human knowledge” ness, thanksgiving, patience, forbearance, perseverance,
compassion, humility, hope, kindness, and peace. These
Robert Roberts are the traits of persons who dwell in the presence of God
and are members of his kingdom. And each of them is
Agnes May points out in her summary that Christian in its own way an outlook, a vantage point, a perspective
psychology has a stake in personal knowledge of God, from which persons are seen and thus known. That’s why
even if we think of Christian psychology as an academic the spiritual disciplines are as much a part of the Chris-
discipline that parallels some of the disciplines pursued in tian psychologist’s practice as any of the investigative
secular university psychology departments. That is, each techniques that are ordinarily thought to constitute the
practitioner of Christian psychology will be a person of discipline of psychology.
prayer and other disciplines such as alms-giving, devotio-
nal reading of Scripture, fasting, and communal worship.
Such disciplines will be practiced alongside the “stan-
dard” modern psychological disciplines such as statistics
and probability, experimental design, the clinical inter-
view, and the reading of professional literature. Nothing Robert C. Roberts,
in the practice of secular psychology quite parallels these U.S.A.
personal Christian disciplines, though individual secular Distinguished Profes-
psychologists may practice something analogous. The re- sor of Ethics
ason for this difference is that the Christian psychologist Baylor University,
has a special appreciation for a dimension of knowledge Areas of Interest:
that is not likely to be emphasized in ordinary university- Ethics (especially
style psychology. That knowledge is a kind of love and virtues), Kierkegaard,
fellowship with the Source of all truth and the Creator of Emotion Theory,
all the subjects that psychology studies and seeks to help. Moral Psychology,
It is a direct and ongoing acquaintance with the One, a Epistemology
relationship with whom the Christian psychologist belie-
ves to be a necessary foundation of the best and healthiest
possible human life.

Some secular psychologists, and indeed even some Chris-
tian psychologists, may think of psychology as a purely
“intellectual” discipline, a discipline that is practiced en-
tirely by “techniques” like controlled experimental obser-
vation, surveys, and statistical analysis, but the Christian
psychologist suggested by Agnes May’s fine article will re- Krzysztof Wojcieszek
alize the existence of a deep kind of knowledge of persons
that cannot be achieved by such “intellectual” disciplines
alone. I think Agnes would agree that the scare-quotes It is not easy to comment on the text. I agree on many
belong around the word ‘intellectual’ to indicate that such propositions contained in this summary by Agnes May,
thinking is an abstraction from genuine knowledge and especially since the truth of some of them I have experi-
intellect, and is not the whole of psychology, if we take enced personally. But there are threads in the text of Agnes,
psychology to be the knowledge of persons. It is people, which I would gladly have presented differently. Maybe I‘ll
and not techniques, who know people. People use tech- start from that, from what I strongly agree with.
niques in the pursuit of knowledge, but the techniques
only yield at best aspects of the knowledge of persons. This thesis is: truth is personal, and even: the truth is a
And the point of the disciplines of prayer and acts of Person. The Age of Science has accustomed us to a posi-
mercy that I mentioned above is to form persons who tivistic recognition of knowledge, and more, to identify
are more complete than otherwise they would be, more knowledge with truth. However, the truth is personal. If
complete by being in intimate fellowship and love with you are sitting in front of a person dear to you, of course,
the ultimate persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. you can recognize him or her as a set of atoms, processes,
People who are more complete in this personal way will flows of energy and cybernetic mechanisms. But it is clear
have more thoroughly integrated the Christian “model” that most people are not interested in the scientific aspects,
of the understanding of persons than those who have but in the answer to a simple question: does this person
learned their theology or their Christian anthropology love me? Can I trust him/her?

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