Video Transcript: Introduction

As you are in ministry, and you are there to help someone with their marriage,  their spouse, maybe something going on in your own family, or questions about  your family of origin, maybe of how someone in your church is acting out, or  isolating, and alienating others, or they're so depressed, they can't get out of  bed. Hi, I'm Dr. Mark Vandermeer. And I'm bringing you today into the world of  psychology. Psychology is that fascinating study of the human condition. So  when it comes to that angry person, person dealing with a mental illness, those  who are part of a culture that they seem to have conflict in and, or whatever it  may be the human condition, human behavior. Fascinating. So the goal today, of getting into psychology, and this whole course, is to help you understand, I  hope, better how the human mind works, but also how to better help someone,  as you minister, together with your team at your church. Well, psychology, what  is it? What are some key terms? Today in this introductory lecture, I will be  guiding you through five things, five things. So let's go right to those five things  here. In our content in our slides, the five things involve the main things, as we  get into the psychology not gonna flood you with a whole bunch of information.  But we're gonna get you started with some key things, foundations of what  psychology is, how it works. What's involved, some of the mechanics, but also  the theory and practice. So what are the five things that we're going to be  looking at are what is it? What is Psychology? Secondly, the terms, some key  terms that is today, what, what terms are we going to explore and also the Bible  in psychology? For many years, I'm sure you've heard people say, Well, how  can you reconcile the Bible with psychology? Are they mutually exclusive? How  can we even think about psychology in terms of the Bible? It's so secular, I  argue and take the position of not, it's not secular. Everything is spiritual. And  more, we'll talk more about that when we get into the Bible and psychology. As  that comes together. We're also going to be looking at the purpose of Christian  psychology. This is a specific designation, or branch of psychology that many  researchers, practitioners have come together to say we are Christian  psychologists, we want to be known and also to practice a particular branch of  psychology that does not contradict that does not compromise the gospel. We  integrate. We'll talk more about that later too about the difference of that, and  also those who are Christians who are in psychology in general. And finally,  we're gonna go over the goals objectives of the course. Well, let's get right to it.  What is it? What is psychology, the general definition of psychology is this. It's  an explanation of the meaning of life. It's quite broad. But in the Christian  worldview, what we want to do is we want to understand psychology, first of all,  as far as from from how God has made us and what how he has given us, our  minds, our desires, our emotions our feelings. It's also an understanding of the  human mind and behavior. So to understand the mind, we also understand  behaviors understand behavior, we also understand the mind, but more  importantly, how that brings meaning to life. That's psychology in a nutshell. And 

as you dig more into the content in Moodle, you'll then be able to read more  detail of the definitions of psychology and the different nuances. Some other  related terms on psychology are these behavior behavior, the way someone  conducts oneself as a pastor practitioner of psychology, and as I do counseling  

also coaching with many, many people, and I have for over 25 years, what I  have been able to do with with people is to explore how they're wired by God.  Well, I want to tell you about about temperament today. Not in detail. But just to  give you an example, temperament is the hot wiring given by God in our brains.  Because when it comes to temperament, it's very different than personality,  personality has to do with behavior that we choose to exhibit. So temperament,  and personality, they go hand in hand. Well, let me give you an example. There  are five sentences that we look at when it comes to temperament. The first one  is I want it my way, people who are very driven, maybe that resonates with you.  Secondly, I want it the fun way, or the relational way. And why not. It's all about  relationships, I don't care about my clocks, or, or the rules or whatever it's about  the relationships and they can be told that I'm wonderful. That's the relational  way. The third sentence has to do with temperament is the peaceful way, the  phlegmatic way, as the one who says I have a low energy, I'm the more even  keeled. I want peace at all costs. The fourth sentence is I want it the right way.  It's right or it's wrong, it's black, or it's white, it's all about details. So, that fourth  sentence that fourth temperament brings us into the whole arena of  understanding how people there are people who are more into the details rather  than into the relationship, everything is a task to perform. And the final sentence  of temper of the temperaments is a hybrid of the right right way and also the fun  way, which is, I want it your way, so that you love me. And this temperament is  about following, not leading, also indirect, very mindful, precise, but also  relational all at the same time. So with those five temperaments, we then look at personality, personality says Well, I, I can behave this way, or I can behave that  way. So when it comes to temperament, how people are wired by God. That is  the hot wire nuts absolute in the person's being in the person's mind. When it  comes to personality, we have choices. So we can choose to behave within our  temperament wiring, or not. And of course, if we do not, based on this example,  we do choose not to behave in our temperament. Then we experience more  stress, conflict of all kinds, and depression and anger and frustration. So when  we get to know our temperaments, we get to know who we are truly made by  God, as Psalm 139 talks about, fearfully and wonderfully made. And then we'll  look at how we then behave. In lecture two, we're going to look at where those  ideas have come from. And so, behavior is very fascinating, because that takes  us into that human condition, like we said with the definition of psychology, it  takes us into the whole experience of the human mind, and as it plays out, in  how we behave, how we interact and so forth. Well, few more terms, few more  terms today. If my slides will advance empirical methods, empirical methods, so 

we go from behavior, and then also looking what psychology does, too, not only  do we observe how people behave and and who they are, but also look at  methods of how we study that. So empirical methods are the processes of  collecting and organizing data, and drawing conclusions about those data. So,  we look at patterns of behavior, how is a person behaving, when they get angry,  when they're depressed, how it is that they then how they feel and how they  express their feelings and emotions, very important, and for empirical methods,  the methods that we then use to study we then look at individual differences.  And if the differences there's the variations among people on physical or  psychological dimensions, what does that mean? The variations among people  on physical or psychological dimensions. It's what we look at when it comes to  how each person is unique. Every personality is like a thumbprint. We're unique. I'm different than my wife, my wife is different from me not just because of  gender, but because of who she is. Or my colleagues, colleagues, you work with it at your church or ministry, or in your other profession that's not minister  oriented. Let's say you're looking at the differences between you and the other.  People are different physically, they're different, when it comes to how they  think. And of course, that relates to culture but that gets more into sociology,  psychology, looks at the human brain looks at behavior initially. Well, then with  those terms, and looking at behavior and empirical methods, and also the  individual differences, and there are many more terms to be learned as well  when you get into the content on Moodle in lecture one, or topic one that is,  behavior is the manner in which someone conducts oneself. So where does the  Bible and psychology intersect? And that's where I was talking about earlier.  Some people think the Bible in psychology cannot intersect. However, as one of  my doctoral instructors told me years ago, he said, when you look at everything  that's in the Bible, everything comes out of the Bible. It truly does. Consider  Proverbs 1:2-7, for gaining wisdom and instruction for understanding words of  insight, for receiving instruction and prudent behavior, doing what is right and  just and fair. For giving prudence to those who are simple knowledge and  discretion to the young. Let the wise listen and add to their learning. And let the  discerning get guidance for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings  and riddles of the wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but  fools despise wisdom, and instruction. So what does that mean? How does that  that connect, when we look at the Bible says about prudence, knowledge,  discretion, and also wisdom, listening, learning, discerning, guidance, and  therefore action, action and instruction, instruction to action, the manner in  which someone conducts oneself. The book of Proverbs is full, and Proverbs 1  is not the only chapter here. All throughout the book of Proverbs, we look at how God has made human beings and also how there are ways of how we ought to  behave. That is prudent that is wise, that is righteous, empirical methods, the  process of collecting and organizing data and drawing conclusions about those 

data. Zechariah 2 it says this, Zechariah verse 1, I looked up and there before  me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, Where are you going? He answered me, to measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it  is. While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving another angel came to  meet him, and said to him, run, tell the young man, Jerusalem will be a city  without walls, because of the great number of people and animals in it. And I  myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the Lord, and I will be its glory  within verse 6, Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north, declares the Lord,  for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven, declares the Lord. Come,  come. So what do we find out here in Zechariah 2. The big point is this. The  angel says to Zechariah I'm gonna measure Jerusalem to find out how wide and how long it is. That is a metric that is empiricism, which is scientific. We use  measuring instruments, we use numbers, math, and also collecting that data so  we can understand it and analyze it. That's exactly what the angel is doing, how  large is Jerusalem, the conclusion is becoming so big with people and animals,  that the walls cannot contain them. And again, there are many other passages  throughout Scripture that talk about measurement. Just think about the parable,  the bags of gold and money, and measurement of that. And also measurement  of what people do people say, and how they do it. And what they say. There's a  lot to unpack. So behavior, empirical methods, very key, coming from scripture,  also individual differences, as our third term, the variations among people on  physical or psychological dimensions. Well, of course, it takes us back to the  beginning. Genesis 1:26-27, then God said, Let us make mankind in our image,  in our likeness. So they may rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky,  over the livestock and all the wild animals and over all the creatures that move  along the ground. So God created mankind, in his own image, in the image of  God, He created them, male and female he created them. So the Bible and  psychology come together. That is the probably the most important part of the  introduction of this whole course, is to explain how the Bible and Psychology not only intersect, but how psychology is based on Scripture. Not only psychology,  but all the disciplines in the liberal arts. Well, the purpose of Christian  psychology, it flows right out of the Bible and psychology into Christian  psychology, which you're, as you're seeing the slide today, thinking, Oh, thank  goodness CLI subscribes to the whole notion and value of the Bible being the  foundation for understanding human behavior, which CLI does. According to an  essay, called Christian Psychology an Introduction and Biblical Analysis by Keith Palmer. The purpose of Christian psychology is this. Christian psychologists use the term “psychology” (quote, unquote), in a broad, general sense, referencing  any study, insight, or reflections regarding the human condition. Now, lecture  two, we're going to talk about Freud, Carl Rogers, Carl Jung, Skinner, BF  Skinner, that is, and a few others, as I'll probably reference them, and these  founders, if you will, of modern day psychology, what they are able to do is really

bring out of the Bible, whether they are Christians or not, what God has created  in human beings, what he has brought to the to the forefront in in observing  human behavior and measuring it, again, empirical methods. And we are able to as believers to redeem what Sigmund Freud has done in the study, his study of  psychology back in the 1800s, as well as Carl Jung, from the 1800s into the late  1800s that is, into the early 20th century, and beyond. Also Ivan Pavlov, we'll  take a look at him as well. We have Christian psychologists today, who then use  the term psychology in that broader general sense. But of course, learning from  those who were pioneering the study, and also the definition of what psychology  truly is. because prior to that, psychology was well, vague, ambiguous, and an  enigma. But thanks to Freud and the others who we are thankful to God for,  they've been able to give definitions, structure, also a system to understanding  human behavior and human condition. And now we're able to bring a full circle  as believers to say, yes, psychology is from God, based on scripture, and also  the here for there for use in a broad general sense and we can look at all  aspects of psychology through the lens of the Christian worldview. Well, what  are some goals and objectives. Some goals objectives of this course, are these  first we're gonna look at definitions which we did a few today. And are more  definitions that you'll be studying here under Topic number one, that is  introduction. Also, as I referenced history, Dr. Freud, Dr. Jung, Dr. Pavlov, and so on, we have these greats who have helped us to give structure to psychology.  Then we're gonna look at the biology of psychology, we're gonna look at  thinking, intelligence, and emotion. You have a great text with this course that  we were provided for through our curriculum advisors here at Christian leaders  Institute, to bring us into the full rundown of definitions and also explanations of  a psychological concept and idea and practice. Also to look at how we learn  pedagogy, memory, human and faith development stages. For example, James  Fowler is a great scholar of, of how not only do we look at the development of  the human mind, human brain, but also how that correlates with the  development of the human experience in faith, spirituality, and other  developmental stages with faith, fascinating. But also to look at stress and  balance, also Christian perspective on the psychodynamic, where we look at  Imago Dei, we look at the whole thing of being made in the image of God, as I  referenced briefly, and I might add, quite briefly about temperament. Being made in the image of God is also again, referencing how God has made us special, as well as look at personality again, and then therapy in more detail. Also  personality disorders, okay, we then study, what is the actual brain? What's the  actual experience of the human condition, that seems (quote unquote), “normal”, although, as some have said that, the definition normal is the setting in your  hairdryer or your your washer or dryer there in your laundry facilities, but, but  more seriously, personality disorders, as it looked at the difference between a  brain that's healthy, and a brain that is not healthy, or that is mentally ill? So 

some, some fascinating studies over that two, gender study will follow. And then  social psychology. How we go from the brain, then to the hot wiring, the  temperament, but also then to the social dynamics between people finally, look  at psychology and life, psychology, and life. You see, we want to help you to  understand all the tenants all the foundations of psychology, from the biblical  worldview, and as we do, well, we are our overall goal is to help you to take  psychology and to apply it well, in the world of ministry, bringing the Gospel, not  only as you preach, not only as you minister, and counsel but also as you lead.  As that servant leader. There's a whole psychology involved with that too, as  you've been learning with your other courses. It's been great to be with you  today. In this introductory lecture on psychology.