4mat Review

4MAT: Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity

An Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations

and Models of Integration

Michelle Holinshed

Liberty University

Entwistle, D. N., (2010) Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity. An Introduction Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations and Models of Integration. (2nd Edition). Eugene, OR. Cascade Books, Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Summary

Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity (Entwistle, 2010), is describes the integration of psychology and Christianity. Entwistle (2010) stated that “some people see Christianity only has a religious belief and psychology as a profession, with very little overlap between them” (p. 10). There have been scholars that have believed that there is a link between Christianity and psychology due to their similarities, while others feel there is no such link. Throughout history it has been argued whether psychology and Christianity should be integrated or not. Entwistle (2010) discusses the reasons both for and against the integration and the necessity of it. Entwistle (2010) further discusses that our worldviews are what forms how we understand the world and how we act (p 61). Each of us will have essentially different worldviews that both focus and distort our understanding of the world as well as our place in this world (Entwistle, 2010, pg. 67). Our worldviews are learned and not something we have chosen. Entwistle (2010) states that our Christian worldview is a “precondition for effective integration” (p. 63) and our “quest of knowledge is affected by our worldview, human finitude and weakness as well as our individual and shared sin, assumptions and the restrictions of data availability (p. 91). Entwistle (2010) stated that psychology and theology both address human behavior. Entwistle (2010) also discusses the difficulties of integration. These difficulties are due to lack of understanding, client resistance or...