Page 37 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5
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Empirical steps toward a Christian Psychology
Therapy (CBT). CBT is a class of therapies cha- be necessary for us to keep our worldview in
racterized by the idea that mental disorders our conscious awareness and practice applying
and stress result from maladaptive cognitions it in various ways until it becomes more auto-
and therapeutic strategies to change these co- matically used. If the data are being interpre-
gnitions will result in decreased stress, problem ted correctly here it also provides direction to
behaviors and emotional difficulties. CBT has the Church and to Christian higher education.
been shown to be an effective treatment for nu- Both settings may congratulate themselves to
merous problems ranging from unipolar disor- the extent they are already helping those atten-
der and generalized anxiety disorder to mari- ding to practice the application of a Christian
tal distress (Butler, Chapman, Forman & Beck, worldview. And if they are not providing world-
2006; Hoffman, Asnaani, Vonk, Sawyer & Fang, view practice, they may want to consider how
2012). However, changing cognitions for thera- to do so in the future.
pists is no quick and easy process, as many the- The current study is admittedly small and inve-
rapists can attest I am sure! stigates only a piece of the larger phenomenon
In general the proposition is the same, take discussed here. Much additional work could be
an unwanted cognitive set and replace it with done to enhance and clarify the findings pre-
a desired cognitive set. For a Christian this is sented. The sample used in this study restricts
the changing of the mind first mentioned in the generalization due to the fact that the majority
paper or the renewing of the mind mentioned of participants was within their 20s, was white,
in Romans 12. To be sure there are significant and was single. The study also employed a sin-
differences beneath the general similarities. In gle Christian worldview measure and only two
CBT a therapist is focused on specific cogniti- cultural measures meaning other factors could
ons related to the stated problem whereas chan- play a role but were not included. Finally, the
ging a worldview is a significantly broader and use of MS to activate a Christian worldview
deeper undertaking. Then again, a Christian has limitations. As with any manipulation infe-
has a lifetime to incorporate the change and rences are made that seem logical, but may not
the therapist does not. The therapist does have occur as intended.
(ideally) the focused attention of the client and Addressing these issues in future research could
the client may actually direct dedicated time potentially strengthen the findings of the cur-
and energy toward the desired change. This can rent study. For instance, if larger and more di-
be the case also in the changing to a Christian verse samples were used with similar metho-
mind, but how often do Christians accept the dologies or at least investigating the same con-
initial conversion of Christianity and not pitch cepts, then we may be able to better understand
in with the sanctifying work the Spirit is doing? the bigger picture of transforming one’s mind.
Many other differences may exist, but the idea It may also be productive to extend the current
is that we see this progressive cognitive change method by including a cognitive load manipu-
other places and may recognize it is a general lation as an additional factor. This would allow
pattern of change and not a deficiency due to one to see to what degree, if any, transformation
personal sin, etc. to a Christian mindset has become automatic.
Previous research in social cognition argues that Further, it may be productive to use a methodo-
conscious thought is unnecessary and even un- logy similar to the present study to investigate
productive (Bargh, 1997; Gladwell, 2005; Weg- cohorts of progressively older ages in order to
ner, 2005). I have argued elsewhere (Jones, in see when the transformation described in the
press) that conscious thought is productive and Starbuck and James data occurs. Additional
quite necessary depending upon one’s end goal. studies may also be designed to incorporate the
It is tempting to think that a Christians trying concept of the reliance on the Holy Spirit rather
to live a godly life have been so changed from than a sole focus on the cognitive processing
their old self that they are automatically guided of the person. In addition to these possibilities,
by their new worldview. However, scripture and qualitative data on the same participants would
the results of these analyses suggest that it may be useful to clarify the processes from an inter-
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