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Jonathan Edwards, the eighteenth-century theologian and pastor, wrote a book entitled, Religious Affections. In it, he discusses the interior of a person. He talks specifically about the will and how it is the seat of our affections. These affections, which include things like love, desire, joy, hate, fear, and grief, reveal the true position of any individual human heart. Therefore, a study of these affections can help determine if a man’s faith is genuine–if his heart is truly converted to Christ.
I might need to be corrected by a theologian who knows Edwards’s writings far better than me, but I propose that his treatment of affections qualifies him as a philosopher, a theologian, and . . . possibly even a psychologist. What is psychology but the study of the soul? Edwards does appear to be wading into the soft science of psychology—things like affections and emotions and motivations—not the hard science characterized by experiments and verifiable results.
Yes, Jonathan Edwards was an early Christian psychologist, as it were, appearing on the scene a century before William James and the birth of psychology. I believe I would have enjoyed sitting down and listening to this amazingly gifted man reflect on God, emotions, joy in particular, desires, and how to understand the will and the soul. If Edwards, deep down in his affections, was a theologian as well as a psychologist, the Bible-believing church could certainly embrace the discipline of psychology.
I don’t know about your experience, but I think many conservative (I do not use that word in a negative sense) Christians view psychology as at odds with the gospel; maybe not psychology as a hard science, but psychology as a soft science that studies the interior of humanity. But then here we have an icon of the Christian faith who wrote a book entitled Religious Affections that examines the innerworkings of the human soul. Should not we today then be open to psychology as an instrument of understanding humanity if this giant of the faith studied the soul? Maybe. Maybe not.
As a brief aside, how many of you are familiar with special revelation and general revelation? Special revelation is truth that comes to us in God’s inspired and reliable word, the Scripture. We unpack this truth not only by reading the Bible but through the discipline of theology and the study of the doctrines of the Christian faith. This special truth cannot be discovered with our limited human minds in nature or in our own hearts because it is spiritual in nature and beyond our physical human faculties. It is divinely revealed.
Special revelation is salvific—it communicates the truth about God and his salvation for humanity in the person of Jesus. This special revelation is to be found in the word of God, as was mentioned above, and possibly through the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Does the Spirit of God ever speak to us above and beyond Scripture? Maybe, but never outside of it. God can choose to communicate however He wishes. Of course, we must be very careful not to assume that most (or any) of our dreams and personal revelations are God’s voice speaking.
General revelation is truth to be found in the divinely created natural world (even truth about the existence of God—see Romans 1:20) outside the supernatural word of God. General revelation is truth found in disciplines such as mathematics, astronomy, geology, biology, anatomy, physics, chemistry, medicine, and psychology.
If we possessed only the truth of general revelation, we would not know the way to God revealed in His Son, Jesus. We might know that God exists as we observe the amazing beauty of nature around us on the earth and in the heavens, but we would not have the special truth God gave us in the Bible that communicates the Father’s heart in the God-man, Jesus Christ. Thank God that He communicated that truth to us in the incarnation.
Both special and general revelation convey truth. Different kinds of truth, yes, but both are sources of truth. I certainly believe that all truth is God’s truth wherever it is found, and that followers of Jesus need to embrace the general revelation of God in areas like electrical engineering, dietary science, architecture, physical anatomy, medicine and even psychology (for what is psychology but the anatomy of the soul?).
I believe God created a world that is orderly. Therefore, we can identify and trust laws of nature and do science–and so we can trust structural engineering and medical procedures like surgeries that remove appendices and transplant new hearts and kidneys.
As was mentioned above, all truth is God’s truth wherever it is found. Other religions outside Christianity may have some truth in them. Buddha spoke some truth, as did Mohammed and adherents of Hinduism. Confucius had some wisdom that rings of truth. For example, I believe he spoke a truth when he said, “When anger rises, think of the consequences.”
But while these other religions and their leaders might have discovered some general revelation truth in the world, they did not bring salvific truth (special salvation), truth that actually saves someone from sin and death, that makes someone right with God, that reveals to them The One who will deliver them from darkness and transfer them into the kingdom of His Son where they will live forever. Only Yahweh speaking in Jesus could ever do that since there is only one true God in the universe and beyond.
It is also true that psychology, flowing out of observations in the domain of general revelation, does not bring salvific truth. However, I believe it can, even as seen in its application by Jonathan Edwards, function as a source of significant general revelation truth that Christians can pursue and possibly use to clarify or expound on certain aspects of special revelation relating to the understanding of human nature, motives, defenses, vulnerability to sin, the development of healthy, godly affections, and overall growth. Of course, when Edwards wrote about religious affections, he was speaking primarily from special revelation.
Here is what I would like to say in today’s blogpost. Like Edwards, a Christian psychologist can, if wise, bring both special and general revelation to bear on the interior life of a believer. He or she can begin with the Bible but also study truths to be found in the soft science of psychology (as well as the hard science, of course). Remember that this entire website is built on the assumption that believers can supplement the truth found in the special revelation of scripture with truth found in the general revelation of psychology because, once again, all truth is God’s truth wherever it is found.
Some might say that integrating certain content from psychology with Scripture might be tantamount to Israelite intermarriage with the pagan Canaanites. Maybe sometimes, but not always.
Another point to make here is that there are two types of psychologists (therapists, counselors). In making that assertion, I may be splitting hairs and being reductionistic. I apologize in advance. The first type is a psychologist who happens to be a Christian. The other type is a Christian who happens to be a psychologist. The difference between the two is that the former often will allow general revelation observations in psychology to be the lens through which they view special revelation while the latter often will allow special revelation found in biblical truth to be the lens through which they view general revelation in psychology.
Maybe I’m not just splitting a hair and being reductionistic but also playing with semantics here, but I believe there is a difference between determining and informing. I believe that the truth to be found in psychology can and should inform our faith, although maybe it should not determine it. By determine I mean that psychology should not be primary. The truth of psychology must always bow the knee to the truth in the Bible.
Will this bowing be a problem? No, because in the end, we will always find that the truth of general revelation and the truth of special revelation will never be in conflict but will always resonate with each other since both sources of truth flow from the eternal God.
It is a wonderful thing that God has given us curious minds, minds equipped with amazing observational abilities that apply knowledge found in general revelation to fuel efficiency in automobiles, cardiac devices that keep our hearts beating in a healthy rhythm, and relational skills that help us solve conflicts and treat each other justly. After all, we are made in the image of God who is creative, intelligent, and the very definition of truth and justice and morality.
Therefore, seek truth wherever it is found . . . even in psychology.
Psychology might be the discipline that is closest to faith, to the Bible, to the soul. It appears to be a source of general revelation that Edwards applied when he wrote his book.
The question comes, then, should Christians go spelunking in the human soul equipped with more than the Bible? Should they seek to apply general revelation truth found in psychology that may not clearly appear in Scripture but will never disagree with scripture because all truth is God’s truth wherever it is found?
Like other religions and their leaders, are people in the field of psychology like Freud, Skinner, Rogers, Mahler, Satir, and others capable of discovering truth in the world of general revelation. Yes. Should we trust everything these individuals and others tell us? No. We must discern when they are speaking God’s truth and when they veer away into their own interpretations that do not meet the test of special revelation.
I suppose the subjectivity of psychology as a soft science concerns many Christians because they fear that the secular mind, especially, might interpret what they see in psychology through the lens of ungodly thought processes and fallen presuppositions about the universe and human nature. These believers have reasons for their hesitations about psychology. What are some of these concerns?
Certainly, the emphasis on self-help in psychology instead of looking to God is a concern. Yes, in Philippians it does say, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, but it also says that it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Elsewhere, the Bible says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not trust your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Jesus also says in John 15:5, I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing
Obviously, we are not to sit around and do nothing. I am always reminded of the angel in Acts 5:17-21 who appeared to Peter and the other apostles in prison and called them into action: But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
The point is that there is validity to the critique that secular psychology often emphasizes self-help in lieu of trusting God. Psychologists who are believers in Jesus must remember that promoting self-reliance over reliance on God is unbiblical (see 2 Corinthians 1:8-10).
Yes, while we must work out our salvation and actively address our emotional/relational issues, we must always do so knowing that God is our strength. I don’t emphasize reliance on God because we should do so, but because we must do so. There is only limited hope for change if we rely primarily or solely on ourselves.
Some believers in Jesus also are concerned by the emphasis on self-esteem in psychology possibly because it might displace God-esteem, or it might lead us to make much of humans when we should be making much of God. Once again, I think their concern is legitimate. My only pushback is that sometimes we Christians seem so afraid of viewing ourselves as God’s beautiful poems (Ephesians 2:10) that we err in the direction of self-flagellation and self-denigration. These attitudes clearly do not originate with the God who says He rejoices over us with gladness and exults over us with loud singing (Zephaniah 3:17).
Of course, someone like Sigmund Freud has made many individuals who love the special revelation found in Jesus Christ wary of psychology if not downright negative toward it. Freud’s atheism and his preoccupation with sexuality turned off many believers, understandably so. Nonetheless, I think Freud’s exploration in the underground mines of the human psyche led to the discovery of some legitimate general revelation truth in areas such as human defense mechanisms and the human subconscious and unconscious worlds. As I have said before, even a blind mouse occasionally finds the cheese.
Just as Jonathan Edwards explored the affections of the human soul, so psychology seeks to understand the workings of the interior world in men and women. Let’s embrace the fact that any truth found in the discipline of psychology is God’s truth. Said another way, let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater. Let’s be discerning (separating out what is fact and what is opinion or blatant error) and embrace the truth found in psychology even by the blind mice (which all of us once were).
How can psychology be a good thing?
Just as there are Christians who are competent surgeons so there are Christians who are competent psychologists. Just as surgical skills are not to be found in the special revelation of the Bible but in the world of general revelation, so some psychological truths and skills are to be found outside scripture in the world of general revelation.
If you would argue that there is much more overlap between the special revelation of Scripture and the general revelation of psychology than there might be between the Bible and surgery, you would be correct. While Scripture does not tell you how to repair an aortic dissection or design and insert a pacemaker, it does address affections in the heart and soul like joy, sadness, grief, anger, and envy.
There is clearly an overlap between the special revelation of scripture and the general revelation of psychology. This overlap is probably the region where some people become wary of psychology. Why do we need to trust general revelation from the mouths of humans when we have God’s special revelation that already addresses the machinations and affections of the human heart?
The Christian psychologist might say in response that the Bible does address soul topics like guilt, condemnation, and godly sorrow, but psychology can complement the scriptures by discussing things like true guilt v. false guilt, coping skills that separate us from God, how to identify and work through transference onto God of earthly father issues, and generational sins that manifest in shame, depression, and anxiety three generations later.
As Designer Therapy for Life has alluded to in past posts, psychological tools can be helpful when dealing with passages like 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 where believers are to confront every false argument and towering fortress that rises up against the knowledge of God.
Psychological therapy is also a great tool for cleaning the inside of the cup, as Jesus mentioned. As Scott Peck says, therapy is a light shedding tool par excellence. People who are willing to examine the affections of their souls in the presence of another person with a view toward identifying sin, unhealthy coping, and how to grow most effectively are engaged in a process very consistent with sanctification.
Psychology can be a gift to the believer in Jesus if we begin with God and interpret the truth of general revelation through the lens of special revelation. Psychology will never bring deep soul healing or salvific truth, but it certainly can help elucidate biblical concepts, even ones that Jonathan Edwards addressed, and supplement truth that the Bible mentions.
Alice Miller, Harry Guntrip, Heinz Kohut, Margaret Mahler, Donald Winnicott, and Scott Peck, to name but a few, may not have been individuals who embraced the special revelation found in the Bible (I don’t know for sure about all these individuals—Peck was possibly a believer), but they still discovered God’s truth with their God-given minds. They helped us understand the early developmental stages of the infant, the experience of a young child with a narcissistic, borderline, abusive, or evil parent, the growth of the self through childhood and into adulthood, and how to take responsibility for oneself and develop the discipline necessary for growth.
As a Christian who was called by God to be a psychologist, I have asserted many times in DTFL that the truth of psychology–when viewed through the lens of faith in Jesus–ultimately focuses on how to fully experience the presence of God.
The truth found in psychology is about removing everything that comes between us and God such as sin, shame, condemnation, addictions, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, defense mechanisms, projection, transference, and intellectualization that causes even a theologian to escape into his mind so much that he does not access his heart where the Holy Spirit desires to meet him. Yes, even theology can be an escape mechanism for some.
In conclusion, an esteemed theologian like Jonathan Edwards may have been an early pioneer of psychology as he examined the human heart for proper religious motivations and genuine affections. In my experience, he was working to identify and remove every false thing that came between humans and their God. Therefore, let us not fear psychology, but sift through it for truth that comes from God, just in the form of general revelation.
After all, there are many individuals who come to counseling with a hatred for God and a distaste for Scripture because of their experiences with a spiritually abusive parent, teacher, or pastor or due to their own bitter heart. These people will struggle to begin with God and His word, but the presence of a compassionate, listening, patient counselor may have the power, by the guidance of the Spirit, to help tear down every towering fortress within the individual’s soul, that rises up against the knowledge of God.
Few of us will disparage the practical relevance of mathematics that helps us build strong bridges, medicine that saves our lives, botany that teaches us how to garden and raise crops, and biology that instructs us how to fight cancer. Therefore, let us pursue the truth from God in psychology and apply it to cleaning out the cups of our souls that contain the sin and hypocrisy that Jonathan Edwards spoke of in Religious Affections.
Never be afraid of truth, because truth, wherever it is found, is God’s truth.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness ~ Matthew 23:25-28