Page 33 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5

Empirical steps toward a Christian Psychology

progressively realized outcome and for a poten-
tially long period of time the automatic guidance From these early data we can generate several
for one’s actions may run counter to one’s new questions of interest, one of which I will attempt
Christian oriented desires. That is, one potenti- to address in this study. Certainly many college
al consequence of a two-system mind, one fast students report significant and sometimes dra-
and automatic and one slow and deliberate, is matic conversion experiences, but at what point
that we can have contradictory goals to which does the new nature and mindset of conversion
we are directed. become one’s automatic, default nature rather
Given a two-system model of the mind, we may than taking a back seat to the engrained secular
reflect how the process of changing or trans- perspective from earlier in one’s life? Is it rea-
forming one’s mind is likely to progress. This sonable to expect such a profound transforma-
model posits a slow process marked by uneven tion during one’s days at college? The question
change and perhaps times of regression rather for this study to address is can traditional col-
than progress. This sounds very much like Paul’s lege age students exhibit the dramatic change
writing on the strife of natures in Romans 7:14- suggested by the sanctification process data of
20. Note however, this change from a secular Starbuck and James? That is, without explicit-
mindset or worldview to a Christian worldview ly activating one’s worldview, is there evidence
is beyond a simple taking on of information, a for automaticity of a Christian worldview when
change of factual knowledge. This change is a thinking about worldview sensitive issues?
true transformation and therefore is not accom-
plished completely psychologically or through Method
human effort. Godly transformation of this sort Overview
comes primarily through the work of the Spirit The Starbuck and James study relied upon qua-
and our agreement with that work. litative, self-report data and similar data would
The picture created from a two-systems view of not suffice for an investigation of potentially au-
the mind is in some ways similar to and in other tomatic thought. The present study relied on an
ways in sharp contrast to the picture presented activation of worldview that operates beneath
by early qualitative data presented by William the level of conscious awareness. This method
James. Starbuck and James (1914) presented was able to show the worldview available to
analyses revealing a stage of life in which Chri- guide thought and action when one’s worldview
stians felt in conflict with their Christian ideals was activated (experimental, mortality salience
followed by a point at which an instantaneous condition) and the worldview that tended to
change took place moving the person from a se- guide action implicitly, when one’s worldview
cular mindset or worldview to what sounds like was not activated (control condition).
a Christian mindset characterized by automati- Specifically, participants completed potential
city. The stage of conflict described by Starbuck cultural (e.g., individualism, collectivism) and
and James sounds much like what should result Christian (relationship with God survey) pre-
from the two-system model of the mind, Paul’s dictors of life satisfaction, had their worldviews
appeal in Romans and the ongoing process de- activated or not and rated their personal levels
fined by Grenz. In contrast, none of the three of life satisfaction. If an individual was not a
seem to suggest a point at which the conflict Christian, then Christian predictors should not
tilts almost completely in favor of the Christian have been significant predictors of life satisf-
mind consistent with the following statements action in either condition. If an individual was
from Starbuck and James (1914). a Christian, but had not reached the point of
“Sanctification removed from within my heart ultimate transformation yet, then the Christian
all sense of depravity, weakness and fear, ma- predictors of life satisfaction should have been
king the service of God a delight.” Page 384 significant in the activated worldview condition
“Temptations from without still assail me, but and cultural predictors should have been signi-
there is nothing within to respond to them.” ficant in the control condition. If an individu-
Page 384 al is a Christian who had reached the ultima-

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