Science in Christian Perspective

 


 PSYCHOLOGY
Philip Marquart, M.D.

From: JASA 7 (June 1955): 20.

 A Christian Approach To Psychological Medicine is a small booklet published by the Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Great Britain. It was prepared by a group of Christian physicians and psychiatrists for the Christian Medical Fellowship of Great Britain.

The writers indicate that some of the teachings of psychology conflict vvith the Scripture, but this fact s ould not prejudice us against all Psychology. They claim that man is more essentially a dipartite than a tripartite person. Tlie background of their writings is Biblical. They recognize conversion and spiritual growth-but not unto perfection-

In the section on schools of Psychology. the prevailing determinism is pointed out. Freud is not totally condemned, since he found many facts about human nature. I believe they should however, point out that the Bible gives a more adequate picture of personality structure than does the id, ego, and superego. They should also point out that Freudian psychoanalysis, depth psychology, or the couch method often hurts Christians by producing greater conflict. It is indeed a form of "brain-washing" to a Christian, but this method is used by comparatively few psychiatrists.

On page 37, it indicates that our physical bodies are to be replaced by "spiritual bodies", immediately after physical death. This is not true. The child of God goes to be with Christ, without his body, for that lies in the grave, but he is to receive his spiritual body (made of molecules and atoms) at the time of Christ's return to rapture His Church.

This booklet takes a dim view of pre-frontalleucotomy (lobotomy), all shock therapy, and the new drug therapy for psychoses. We can easily agree in all of these except that the appropriate shock therapy is often helpful for Christians. They give strong support to the use hypnosis, with psychotherapy.

Wheaton, Illinois
May 2, 1955