Psychology or Christianity? Part 1

Psychology or Christianity?  Part 1

There certainly are many successful and influential psychologists out there and each with his/her own perspective and approach. Psychology, the scientific study of cognition and behavior, is growing in the fields of education, clinical and counseling, health and sports, industrial and organizational psychology. These are but a few. Their focuses vary from biology, cognition, learning and behavior, culture, to humanistic perspectives. Common to each field is the suggestion that behavior is improved through a varying emphasis on learning from example, by encouragement, by a better environment, through education and of course today’s biological psychology - prescriptions. All are worthy approaches. This author maintains that along with Christ and Christianity as the major focus, you’ve got something both personally and culturally penetrating and profound as a behavioral discipline. Christianity is the best behavioral approach and along with scientific and proven practices in psychology over the past 100 years, we have an especially effective discipline here. Let’s take a look by focusing on learning from example. 

Role Modeling is what psychologists mean learning by example. Tony Robbins, a popular contemporary motivational speaker who promotes growth psychology, maintains that modeling is learning through copying the behavior of another. Further he states it is changing your behavior to improve your mindset and achieve your goals.  It is becoming more of who you are through copying a role model. This writer has been a church lector for 47 years. He began while sitting in his regular pew one Sunday in 1977 and observing a church lector who happened to be a news anchor on the local Miami CBS news. “I can do that.” I said to myself. Shortly after I volunteered to be a lector at our church and have been a volunteer lector ever since. Here are other common examples. 

Parents can be effective role models.  Children will copy the positive behavior patterns of their parents.  This may include diet, dress, exercise, attending church, prayer, controlling temper, reading, participating in fun activities, loving their mates and children and a myriad of other behaviors. Of course, children can often model drinking, anger, indifference, laziness, etc.   

Professionalism in the workplace can be modeled to fellow workers. Work ethic, dress, communication styles, honesty and ethics, demeanor and poise in general, are all admirable employee qualities. And of course, role models can be either supervisors or the general culture of the workplace exhibited by associates. In counseling psychology modeling is often used to convey the better or more proper behavior expected of a client. Again, we learn our behaviors through examples.  

 And what of Christianity? Mother Angelica, founder of Eternal Word Television Network, points out that Jesus Christ, who shows us how to act and react under any circumstance, is our perfect role model.  As heirs to the throne of God, we are to be as gods through the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. And our love of Jesus would make us want to be like Him. We are to change the qualities of soul and resemble Jesus in many ways so that we can glorify both Him and the Father for all eternity. Thus, our goal in this life is to be a perfect image of Jesus as Jesus is the perfect image of the Father.  It becomes our best psychology and source of mental health.

What do we imitate?  The loyalty, zeal, nobility and his loving qualities. We do this through an ongoing quest for knowledge of Him and prayer, a way of life. We do this through following Jesus, obeying God’s 10 commandments, by praying daily and behaving accordingly as he expects of us. He’ll let us know how. So, it takes faith.

Matthew 11: 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

1 Timothy 4: 12 “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

Source:

Baglino, Michael J.  2023.  Europe Meets Florida:  Encounters with Psychology, Culture and Religion. New York:  LT Publishers.