Christianity and Psychology

The science of Psychology is often seen at odds with the religion of Christianity. There are some psychologists who view retaining faith as a sort of coping mechanism, an illusion created by the human condition. Scientific psychology seeks answers to human behavioral conditions in biology and environment. In response, many Christians reject psychology outright. They believe that psychology is unnecessary as long as one follows the dictates of the Bible.

Many psychologists have begun studying the ways in which spirituality can affect a person's life, often seeking an integration of faith and science. On the other hand, Biblical counseling has grown as an alternative to more rigorous notions of counseling, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Christian counseling seeks to heal the person's body, mind, and soul. Led by the work of Jay E. Adams, who believed that the Bible alone was sufficient for counseling, this intersection of psychology and Christianity moves beyond the scientific approach, classifying sin as the basis for suffering.

Other groups of self-identified Christians believe that the principles of psychology have validity in the treatment of people's lives. There is a spectrum of integration on both sides of the issues, as each seeks to define and help the human condition within the confines of their worldview. If there is a crossroads where Christianity and psychology meet, then it is often a difficult place to reach.