Page 25 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5

Empirical steps toward a Christian Psychology

werfully influenced by modernist reason. Here, side, outside, and dialogical perspectives. The-
the general points deserving emphasis are that se three contexts may always interact and the
Christian rationality should understand how its boundaries between them never clear and di-
own perspectives are being expressed and heard stinct. Faithful communication may, neverthe-
in order maximize faithful communication and less, require insight into their influences, and an
that empirical methods may be useful in ac- empirical Christian Psychology can contribute
complishing that purpose. to that process.
A third and final type of perspective might be
called dialogical. Empirical procedures may
prove useful in clarifying the compatibilities, in-
compatibilities, and irrelevances that exist bet-
ween the incommensurable rationalities of in-
side and outside perspectives. This information
should help both inside and outside perspecti-
ves more truthfully communicate themselves. A
Christian perspective, for example, might assu-
me that the focus of humanistic psychology on
self-actualization is wholly incompatible with
Christian assumptions about self-denial. And
indeed, a humanistic psychological perspective P. J. Watson, Ph.D. University of Te-
might assume the same thing. These Christians xas at Arlington, is U. C. Foundation
(and humanistic psychologists) may be quite Professor of Psychology at the Uni-
adept in explaining how their reasoning on this versity of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
issue is fully faithful to their standards. He is the author of over 200 journal
But a key question will be whether the com- articles with current interests focu-
munication and not just the rationality of this sing on Christian Psychology, the
belief about self-actualization will be faithful Psychology of Religion, and issues
as well. Will what the speaker says be what the in Personality Psychology related to
hearer hears? Are there other ways to reason the functioning of the self. Recent
from Christian standards to an embrace of at studies have examined issues related
least some expressions of self-actualization that to religious commitment in samples
Christians discover in the Babel of rationalities from Iran, Pakistan, China, Tibet,
in which they must live? And if this proves the and India, as well as from the United
case, would claims that Christianity and self-ac- States.
tualization are wholly incompatible weaken the Paul-Watson@utc.edu
“interests” of Christian rationality both within
and across outside perspectives? Christian ans-
wers to these questions will likely be complex
and varied, but empirical research demonstra- Meta-perspective
tes that they cannot be ignored. Specifically, this Finally, at an intermediate level between the
research demonstrates that at least some huma- standard at the “top” and perspectives at the
nistic expressions of self-actualization can be “bottom” of a system of rationality will be a
heard in Christian language (Watson, Milliron, more highly organized perspective or a “meta-
Morris, & Hood, 1995). perspective” that brings the two together. This
In short, a rationality capable of meeting the meta-perspective will emerge from the activi-
challenges of a Babel of incommensurable ra- ties of a community of shared understanding
tionalities will need to include three broad types that seeks to ensure faithful communication
of perspectives at its lowest level of functioning. of the standard across perspectives. A Christi-
Communication of the meaning of a standard an meta-perspective could, for example, reflect
will necessarily occur within the context of in- the activities of a church denomination, a group

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