Psychology and Christianity

How should Christians understand and undertake the discipline of psychology?

This question has been of keen interest—and sometimes concern—to Christians because of the importance we place on a correct understanding of human nature. Psychology can sometimes seem disconnected from, if not antithetical to, Christian perspectives on life. How are we to understand our Christian beliefs about personhood in relation to secular psychological beliefs?

This revised edition of Psychology and Christianity presents five models for understanding the relationship between psychology and Christianity. All the essays and responses have been reworked and updated with some new contributors including the addition of a new perspective.

The five views presented in this book are:



- A Levels-of-Explanation View from David G. Myers

- An Integration View from Stanton L. Jones

- A Christian Psychology View from Robert C. Roberts and Paul J. Watson

- A Transformational Psychology View from John H. Coe and Todd W. Hall

- A Biblical Counseling View from David Powlison



Each of the contributors responds to the other essayists, noting points of agreement as well as problems they see. Eric L. Johnson provides a revised introduction that describes the history of Christians and psychology, as well as a conclusion that considers what might unite the five views and how a reader might evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of each view.

This book is a standard introductory textbook for students and professors of Christian psychology. With Psychology and Christianity, gain a fuller understanding of how to participate in and understand psychology as a Christian.

About the Series

Spectrum Multiview Books offer a range of viewpoints on contested topics within Christianity, giving contributors the opportunity to present their position and respond to others in this dynamic publishing format.



Eric L. Johnson (PhD, Michigan State University) trained as an academic psychologist and is Lawrence and Charlotte Hoover Professor of Pastoral Care at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author of Foundations for Soul Care and the coeditor of God Under Fire and Christianity and Psychology: Four Views. An associate editor of the Journal of Psychology and Theology, he is the director of the Society for Christian Psychology and the Institute for Christian Psychology.



Roberts, Ph.D., is distinguished professor of ethics at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He was formerly professor of philosophy and psychological studies at Wheaton College, where he worked on integration aspects of clinical psychology. Author of numerous books and articles, he is currently completing a volume on the moral psychology of emotions.



P. J. Watson (Ph.D. University of Texas at Arlington) is professor of pyschology and head of the pyschology department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has written numerous articles relating to psychology and physiology that have been published in psychology books and scholarly journals. Over the years Watson has been the recipient of several grants for research, the most current being a grant from the University of Chattanooga Foundation to support "personality research in Iran."



John H. Coe (PhD, University of California, Irvine) is director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Biola University in La Mirada, California. He is also professor of spiritual theology and philosophy at the Talbot School of Theology and Rosemead School of Psychology. He is the coauthor of Wildlife in the Kingdom Come and Psychology in the Spirit, and contributor to Reading the Christian Spiritual Classics and Psychology Christianity.His research and speaking is in spiritual formation and the interface between psychology, spirituality and philosophy. He was the founding editor of the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care and has contributed articles to the Journal of Psychology and Theology and the Journal of Psychology and Christianity. He is married to Greta and they have two daughters.



Todd W. Hall (Ph.D., Biola University, Doctoral specialization, University of California--Los Angeles) is director of the Institute for Research on Psychology and Spirituality, associate professor of psychology, and editor of theJournal of Psychology and Theology at Biola University. He is also the president of Alidade Research (alidaderesearch.com), a research and organizational development consulting firm. Hall developed the Furnishing the Soul Inventory, one of the most widely used measures of Christian spirituality among Christian colleges, Bible institutes and secondary schools in North America. He speaks and consults regularly on spiritual transformation, leadership and organizational development to Christian schools, nonprofits, businesses and churches around the country.Having conducted research on spiritual transformation for over fifteen years, Hall has published extensively on the topic in journals such as the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, Journal of Psychology and Theology, Journal of Psychology and Christianity and Mental Health, Culture and Religion. He is also the author of Spiritual Formation, Counseling and Psychotherapy (Nova Science, 2004).



Stanton L. Jones is provost and professor of psychology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. During his tenure as chair of the psychology department (1984-1996), he led the development of Wheaton's Doctor of Psychology program in clinical psychology. He received his B.S. in psychology from Texas A M University in 1976, and his M.A. (1978) and Ph.D. (1981) degrees in clinical psychology from Arizona State University.

Preface to the Second Edition


1 A Brief History of Christians in Psychology - Eric L. Johnson


2 A Levels-of-Explanation View - David G. Myers


Integration Response


Christian Psychology Response


Biblical Counseling Response


Transformational Psychology Response


3 An Integration View - Stanton L. Jones


Levels-of-Explanation Response


Christian Psychology Response


Biblical Counseling Response


Transformational Psychology Response


4 A Christian Psychology View - Robert C. Roberts and Paul J. Watson


Levels-of-Explanation Response


Integration Response


Biblical Counseling Response


Transformational Psychology Response


5 A Transformational Psychology View -- John H. Coe and Todd W. Hall


Levels-of-Explanation Response


Integration Response


Christian Psychology Response


Biblical Counseling Response


6 A Biblical Counseling View - David Powlison


Levels-of-Explanation Response


Integration Response


Christian Psychology Response


Transformational Psychology Response


7 Gaining Understanding Through Five Views - Eric L. Johnson


Name Index


Subject Index