Introduction to Psychology

The Biblical definition of Psychology is:  the study of the human condition and psyche in the context of the Christian worldview. As noted in the website https://biblicalcounseling.com/resource-library/essays/christian-psychology-an-introduction-biblical-analysis/ the practice of Psychology starts with a Biblical point of reference. Scripture is the first step in developing research, theory and practice. 

The practice of Psychology in a Biblical framework therefore begins with proper Biblical exegesis. The Christian minister then integrates the Christian worldview with Psychological terms and practices used since the advent of modern Psychology. 

To be clear, Psychology begins with God's Word and how God created mankind in body, mind and spirit. Everything that you come across in modern Psychology per Jung, Freud, Rogers, Skinner and other noted pioneers was not necessarily original; you will find the foundational concepts of, for example, cognitive behavioral therapy in the Bible. In Romans 12: 2 God states "...be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." 

The "transformation" centers on how the Holy Spirit changes how we think and behave. "Cognitive" refers to the mind; "therapy" refers to a process on how to change from the negative to the positive. If we begin with Christ, we see how He transforms the mind from the flesh to that of the Holy Spirit's direction (Romans 8: 5-6). 

All in all, everything that we understand Psychology to be is inherent in the Creation of mankind found in Genesis 1-2. In Genesis 1:26, God says to Himself, "Let us make man(kind) in our image," which means that our minds and hearts were made by God as opposed to what modern psychologists may call "evolutionary" given Charles Darwin's theory. God's creation of the human mind is the creation of the heart; as believers we affirm God's Creation as reality and perfect reflecting God's attributes of reason, emotion, behavior and temperament manifested in us. 

Read:

1. ALL of the PDF file entitled "CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTION & BIBLICAL ANALYSIS."

2. Read ALL of the article on "The Integration of Christianity and Psychology: A Guest Post by Sarah Rainer."