A 4-Mat Review: Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity

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A 4-MAT Review: Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity Bruce E. Johnson Liberty University Summary David Entwistle (2010) in his book Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity, examines the struggle between psychology and Christianity. Entwistle accomplishes this by looking at the historical tension between the two areas, examining each of the schools of thought in relation to human development, and promoting the belief that the two schools may be viewed as complementary and not as polar opposites. This belief system appears to be based on the beliefs of Harry Blamires who discusses the difference in secular thinking and Christian thinking. Entwistle states “Blamires helps us to see that we can learn from ‘secular’ sources while framing our thinking with a Christian worldview and applying knowledge with Christian concern” (Entwistle, 2010). It is from this point that Entwistle begins his discussion into the topic of integration with these two distinct fields that appear to be worlds apart. Athens and Jerusalem seem to be worlds apart. History tells their stories as being the story of a people of human reason and a people of faith. It is with these two groups that Entwistle (2010) begins to point out how two groups may think and believe differently but as stressed later in his book, may still be able to complement one another. It is in this text that Entwistle uses the cities to represent two different schools of thought. Athens represents human knowledge and reason. Jerusalem represents faith. So far apart are these two thought traditions that Tertullian asked over 1800 years ago: “What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” (Entwistle, 2010, p. 8). What indeed? Entwistle (2010) answers this in the following chapters by first giving the historical fight between the two with the simple question; Are science and

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