Why Isn’t Psychology Good Enough?

Last updated on: September 17, 2015 at 3:56 pm by D. G. Hart

Why Isn’t Psychology Good Enough? 2015-09-17T15:56:24-04:00 D. G. Hart

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Some folks here are aware of the controversy surrounding Doug Wilson and Christ’s Church in Moscow, Idaho. It involves a church member who is a sex offender and how the church handled this person. For more details, go here.

I am less concerned — maybe that makes me a bad guy — with all of Wilson’s offenses than Libby Anne is. To kick someone when they are vulnerable seems not to be the most charitable of tactics. Maybe Wilson deserves the scorn, maybe he doesn’t.

What is worth commenting on from my perspective is the limitation of thinking that the Bible or a Christian worldview can lead us to the true path in all walks of human life. If you read Wilson’s letter of explanation, what is missing is an awareness of what wisdom psychologists might offer. Wilson mentions legal authorities and the ministry of the church. But what about the people who study this kind of behavior and personality for a living? Wilson writes:

the task of ministering to broken people is one of the central glories of the Christian church. For us, there are two causes of rejoicing in this. The first is that Christ came into the world for the sake of the screwed-up people. “And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Luke 5:31, ESVOpen in Logos Bible Software (if available)). We refuse to abandon that glory for the sake of our own reputation or convenience. This is the gospel—through Christ God saves sinners. Second, the church is a hospital for sinners, not a rest home for saints which brings us to the second glory. When we minister to people in this kind of desperate condition, there will be others in the grip of bile and bitterness who use the occasion to attack the hospital staff for “supporting and applauding” the diseases the hospital staff is actually laboring to eradicate. That is, the church’s detractors are people who allege that we, the church, are protecting, covering, or advocating molestation of children. These false allegations are simply slander. But even though such detractors speak their slander, Jesus said that when men despitefully use you, and say all manner of wicked things about you—e.g. that you protect and cover for child molestation—the church’s response is to “rejoice and be exceedingly glad” (Matt. 5:11-12Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). To be vilified for standing for grace is itself a grace. It is an honor to be so dishonored, a grace to be disgraced. But it is the grace the church glories in, never the sin that made the grace necessary.

This is true but Christians are not merely spiritual beings. We are also physical and even psychological. Some matters (many?) are beyond the competency of those who minister God’s word. If we don’t go to physicians for help, do we run the risk of being witch doctors or Christian Scientists? And if we have people whose inner workings defy the counsel supplied by holy writ, what’s so wrong with seeking psychiatric or psychological help?

In Treatment might help all of us.

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