Introduction
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 6. Romans 12:2
People may find comfort in different things when overcoming life’s challenges. Both religion and psychology represent routes that individuals may take for various reasons. Even though early psychologists, such as Sigmund Freud or anti-psychology Christians, thought that spirituality and psychology could never exist in unity, a more modern approach proposed by Entwistle suggests that the two can complement one another.
Moreover, it has become common for the followers of the Christian faith to recognize that psychological reflection can aid in understanding the human condition. It is essential to examine the relationship between psychology and Christianity because there are life questions that one can help answer and the other cannot, and vice versa. The Allies model proposed by Entwistle enables the merging of the two types of reflection while validating the benefits of both psychology and Christian theology, which aids in developing an open mindset conducive to reflection and ongoing exploration of the world.
The Great Misconception
There is a general misconception in society that there must be an opposition between scientific and religious methods of knowing. This perspective is based on the need for more understanding of modern science’s foundations and the history of its development. For example, Christian theology scholars were quite respectful of science because the world’s knowledge would contribute to the knowledge of the Creator.
Specifically, Thomas Aquinas was highly supportive of the use of Aristotelian philosophy in understanding the Christian perspective of the world and the development of theology as a science. As society progressed and discoveries about human behaviors, emotions, and mental health challenges emerged, psychology came to the forefront of the study of personality. Therefore, considerations of the interplay between religion and psychology became more relevant.
The Allies Model
In the book Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity, Entwistle laid out five models of integrating Christianity and psychology, which include Allies, Enemies, Neutral Parties, Spies, and Colonialists. The names of the models are self-explanatory and illustrate the different dynamics in the relationship between the two types of reflection. For example, the Enemies model assumes that Christianity and psychology can never find common ground.
In contrast, the Allies model is the most progressive and integrative. Entwistle (2015) writes that the model depends on the “unity of truth,” which suggests that psychological and theological reflection can contribute equally. Neither psychology nor Christianity are superior to one another, according to the model. Instead, only God is to be considered superior to all things known to people, which means that He allowed for creating of both psychology and theology.
The development of the Allies model reflects the modern approach to thinking as the integration of psychology and Christian theology can be applied to achieving an objective of common benefits for humankind while maintaining the belief that the only truth is known by God alone (Entwistle, 2015). The approach shows that even though there is a difference in what theology and psychology hold, appreciating the truths that they hold is conducive to a well-rounded perspective on life and spirituality.
According to Entwistle (2015), the two books that are the most effective at explaining the application of psychology from a Christian perspective is God’s Word and God’s Works. Specifically, the Scripture and the nature that God created are a perfect combination that reveals God’s sovereignty (Entwistle, 2015). What is unique about the Allies model is that it reflects the complexity of modern society and the struggles that people encounter on a daily basis. In 1 John 4:4, it says, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” The verse suggests that challenges are inevitable, and trusting God and His intentions for a person’s life can significantly help alleviate the burdens of everyday life.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths of the Allies Model
The Allies model that unites spirituality and psychology has several advantages. The most prominent benefit of the approach and what sets it apart from the other four models is that it aims toward integrating two perspectives. This is done by acknowledging that that neither psychology nor Christianity could give answers to all questions that a person may have. However, when they are used together and are balanced, the two types of reflection can bring out the best from each approach. Besides, since integration is at its core, the Allies model takes nothing away from Christianity or psychology and instead emphasizes that the two approaches are subject to God’s authority, creating an effective integrative relationship.
The Scripture mentions the benefits of healthy alliances, such as Proverbs 13:20, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” The verse is reflective of the philosophy that Entwistle likely pursued when developing the Alliances model. Specifically, unhealthy alliances can play a negative role in shaping one’s character and affect their convictions, leading to a lower quality of life and dissatisfaction with the relationships that an individual has built with others. Becoming a better person or acquiring new knowledge is only possible through collaboration with wise and knowledgeable people rather than trying to oppose others or compete with them.
Limitations of the Allies Model
While the Allies model is advantageous for multiple reasons, it has its limitations. One of its prominent disadvantages is that it implies that the unique approach to psychology within the Christian tradition is the only constructive one and, thus, must be applied to the model (Entwistle, 2015). Another limitation is that there are multiple denominations in the Christian faith, which tend to have various doctrines and align on only some of their principles. Due to this reason, finding a unified approach to Christian psychology is a challenging endeavor because of the need to identify a singular conviction across all denominations that exist. Therefore, the identification of the shared beliefs across all Christian denominations and integrating them into the relationships between psychology and theology is a significant limitation that may never be overcome.
Moreover, the definition of the boundaries for the integration between psychological and theological types of reflection needs to be clarified. Specifically, there are schools of thought in psychology that completely oppose spirituality and even deem them as pathological. For example, Freud adamantly opposed the belief in traditional methods and condemned religion as a psychological disorder.
However, as Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis and the ideas of conscious and unconscious, his theories are consistently used in psychology. It remains to be seen how the models of prominent anti-religion psychological theorists can be used in conjunction with the theological principles of Christianity. Besides, if the Allies model suggests that neither psychology nor theology is the ‘right answer,’ there cannot be a dominating perspective. Consequently, if neither Christianity nor psychology can dominate over one another, there is a lack of clarity as to how the balance between them is to be achieved. While the mentioned limitations of the model are significant and should not be ignored, acknowledging them is important for combining the theological and psychological types of reflection.
Conclusion
To conclude, the relationship between psychology and Christianity has always been a subject of discussion and debate. Among the five models developed by Entwistle, the Allies model represents the most reliable and progressive approach to the integration of psychological and theological types of reflection. The model shows that there are components of the two types of reflection that are beneficial to use not in isolation but rather in conjunction with one another. For instance, it is pretty complicated for an individual to develop spiritually if they cannot overcome the burdens of addiction or psychological issues due to trauma.
The core belief of the model entails the assumption that all levels of knowledge, including psychological reflection, comes from the Scripture. Both perspectives illustrate the revelations of God’s Word and His Work, which are crucial for reaching harmony and balance in one’s life and living happily in unity with God and oneself. Finally, taking the best practices from religion and psychology is conducive to improved wisdom and knowledge among humanity.
Reference
Entwistle, D. (2015). Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity (3rd ed). Wipf & Stock Publishers.
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