Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity: An Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations, and Models of Integration was written by Dr. David Entwistle. But who is this great author who was able to manage and present some groundbreaking ideas? Dr. Entwistle earned a B. A. in Psychology from Taylor University, and Masters and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University.
As a licensed psychologist, he spent 10 years of his professional life by giving psychotherapy in residential and outpatient settings. Since 1996, Dr. Entwistle served as Chair of the Psychology Department in the faculty of Malone College in Canton, Ohio, where he also taught courses in the undergraduate psychology, graduate counseling, and graduate Christian ministries programs. The book presented various ideas that would awaken readers mind and start to ask certain questions beyond his imagination rather would ponder and ask beyond his beliefs.
Psychology and theology as disciplines share a common characteristics in functioning and nature of human beings. The book presented an introduction to many of the worldview issues and philosophical foundations that outline the connection of psychology and theology. It includes scholarly reflection on the integration literature, and surveys five paradigms of possible relationships between psychology and Christianity. Dr. Entwistle would like his readers to become fully aware of the pre suppositional conditions that brought us to certain issues.
The book also would like to readers to understand diverse approaches for relating psychology and Christianity as partly based on pre suppositional assumptions. The book had covered with most recent literature that made a thoroughly conversant tone. It mostly covered from various key insights from history, philosophy, psychology, and theology. The book was written with precision, simplicity, appeal, and accessibility that is mostly ideal for students.
The author was not only masterfully recapitulated the combination of literature to date and classified the stance taken, but moved the argument on another level. The book pointed out several issues that firmly grounds the whole debate on its philosophical foundations, however successfully argues that the transformational model of relationship, which was preferred mostly by Christians, which would give way to a more equal meaning of theology and psychology as interpretive human endeavor in search of truth.
The books’ topic would appeal interesting to readers even the least knowledgeable ones. The book was able to present a difficult area of study with a great deal of assurance, and with certain definitions, illustrations, and practical analogies. At the end of every chapter, questions are included to help readers evaluate both the material and their own escalating approach to integration. What’s interesting to note here is that psychology and Christianity were thought could not integrate rather contradict each other due to its essence and nature.
But with various studies and research that have provided a lot of fresh and new ideas and beliefs have awaken the readers mind in order to come up with better understanding of two opposing nature that could possibly integrate one another. To Christians, who were taught of certain beliefs and considerably curious about psychology could now learn and integrate various ideas and beliefs to better further his understanding and broaden his horizon. I believe that there’s no limitation in everything we do, or particularly in everything we need to know or ought to learn.
As an individual we are given choices and options that would allow us to think deeply and search for the ideal truth. Nobody would dare who will tell us what is right from wrong. Any assumptions or basically knowledge presented to us would depend on how we perceive it, and how we are going to inculcate it in our lives. Psychology is a very broad topic; basically it pertains to the human behavior, and as time goes by a lot of people become interested to study with in depth search for knowledge. On the other hand, theology plays a great deal of thorough learning.
Both natures would need a great deal of understanding, searching, and learning for greater truth, and that would lead people to realize and analyze their capacities and limitations beyond what they know. It would make sense for anyone who would like to integrate psychology and theology in a deeper level with much more sense and in depth thinking. Though, it would require people to understand it slowly and would immense his heart and soul to better understanding, this book has made the readers’ dilemma by presenting a basic, simple and precise learning of integration.
Whatever opposing beliefs, opinions, and ideas everybody has could make a difference. But I believe that what’s more important is beyond on how we think rather on how we act towards other people, to ourselves and to God. Our actions are very essential that would embody our characteristic. And I guess, this book would like the readers to think beyond its’ text and apply it in our daily lives for better understanding, acceptance, and would lead to us to a better life.