Andrej Kiš
Andrews University in Berrien Springs
SAD
UDK: 159.9 : 27-46
Stručni članak
Primljen 01.06.2005.
PSYCHOLOGY AND PASTORING
Summary
Pastoring has been around for a long time, much longer than the discipline of modern
psychology, at least as far as careers are concerned. While the work of a pastor is
largely concerned with the responsibility of providing spiritual direction, psychology is
largely concerned in understanding the abstract and concrete functionings of the mind
and brain respectively. These two disciplines have generally been at odds with each
other, often distrusting and suspicious of each other, they have at best created an
uneasy alliance. Ideally, students being trained in the art of pastoring would be
offered more classes in psychology and counseling. Likewise, it would benefit the
psychology student to be exposed to more courses on spirituality, and ethics. This
leads to the question of why it is necessary to study psychology. What can psychology
contribute to pastoral work? Answering this question will be the focus of this chapter.
However, answering this question will be difficult because the topic itself could be a
book. Whole sections would have to deal with counseling, an area of psychology we
won’t be able to discuss here.
Key words: pastoral counseling, psychology, Christianity
At an introductory level, psychology seeks to expose the student to various
elements that create a very basic structure of understanding the mind and brain
and how the individual is impacted by these elemental functions on a day-to-day
basis. As Christians, we believe in a holistic understanding of the individual as
made and reflected in the image of Christ. Such a reflection includes spirit, mind,
and body; and that these parts are interdependent.
The rest of the chapter will focus on the different areas I feel are absolutely
necessary for students who are studying to be pastors to study in an introductory
psychology course. The sections are as follows: Biological Bases of Behavior;
Consciousness; Learning; Motivation and Emotion; Human Development;
Personality; Stress, Coping, and Health; and Social Behavior.
Before reading any further, there a few things I would like you to keep in
mind. First, this text seeks to provide reasons why pastors in training need to take
psychology. This is done by presenting lists of course content per lecture, as well
as asking questions. Secondly, I have asked questions that you, the reader, might
consider asking yourself. The questions may challenge beliefs/opinions you have
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regarding certain issues, and that is good. Frequently confronting and
reconfronting encourages us to think critically and to seek answers. Third, keep
in mind that not everything in this text can be explained. This is due to the lack
of space. I encourage you to seek answers where you have questions or
problems. Fourth, keep in mind that much of what takes place psychologically is
not a single event or a single emotion. Many things go into an emotion for
instance. One just cannot read a book on emotions without understanding
biological, personality, or learning correlates. Fifth, although I do go into
explanations of certain issues or theories, it is done precisely to show how
important and relevant they are to everyday life, whether it be ours or others. It is
in no way an attempt at teaching psychology.
Biological Bases of Behavior
The association of biology and psychology has been to many, mutually
exclusive entities. That is, they are not aware of the intimate relationship between
the two. Many seem to have the understanding that studying biology belongs to
physicians or others involved in the hard sciences, while the study of the brain
belongs to the psychologists, and that the study of the mind belongs to those
involved in spiritual or metaphysical matters. This of course is dangerous and
faulty thinking. What exactly is studied and why is it important? In an
introductory course of psychology, students are exposed to the basic functions of
the nervous system (communication and organization), research methods
(through the study of lesioning, magnetic resonance imaging, and other various
forms of brain exploration), brain anatomy, endocrine system, and heredity.
A basic study of the biology of behavior gives an excellent grounding in
how abstract constructs such as emotions are interrelated with biology and the
chemical processes that take place continuously. If for example, an individual is
experiencing anxiety, as manifest through fear, they may experience sweaty
hands, a dry mouth, or an inability to move. Fear, the emotion, is in association
with sweaty hands, dry mouth, or the inability to move, all of which are
biological functions and thereby lead to behavior. They are interdependent. Of
course, each individual may respond differently than another, physiologically
speaking.
Secondly, an understanding of the biology of behavior will help in
understanding how, for instance, drugs impact the nervous system which impacts
the brain directly as well as physiological functions. These impacts, for example,
may manifest themselves in the forms of depression, eratic behavior, anger, and
even serious psychological problems due to chemically or even physically
unalterable states that can only be controlled if possible, by prescriptive
medication. In some such cases, only a miracle from God can lead to a cure.
Indirectly, the scenario just given impacts others such as immediate and/or
extended family members, friends, and co-workers. They in turn, may develop
depression, unhealthy levels of anxiety, anger, etc...
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Knowing how the nervous system functions is very useful because cause
and effects can be better understood. Being able to explain to family members, or
to individuals in question, the basics of what is taking place is one of the first
steps in coming to terms with why they may be depressed. Being able to
understand what a normal and healthy nervous system, or endocrine system
looks like will go a long way in being able to understand what is wrong and why
abnormal behavior is taking place.
Consciousness
Consciousness is not only about sleep although it does have that
component. Studying consciousness involves the study of the nature of
consciousness, biological rhythms and sleep, the sleep/wake cycle, dreams,
hypnosis, meditation, and the use of mind-altering drugs. I will only mention
briefly a few of these components here.
Circadian rhythms are found in humans and most species of animals. This
rhythm lasts 24 hours and is influential in regulating sleep. In fact, it is important
to the extent that it influences blood pressure, and other physiological functions,
alertness, short-term memory, and other aspects of cognitive activity. Imagine for
a moment the effect of going to bed 2 hours later than you usually do. The
following morning you may have a tension headache, impeded/slow motor
coordination, inability to focus on tasks, a heightened tendency to irritation, and
strained relations at home. Again, such an event can mushroom into greater
problems and difficulties that will impact the quality of life in every aspect. Good
judgment is often at an all time low and can be the source of several
psychological problems. Sometimes it is easy to say that an individual’s
dysfunction is a result of deep seated issues that have their origins in childhood.
Although this may be the case, an individual’s presenting problems may be as
simple as an inconsistency in circadian rhythm, hence the importance in
suspending judgment and trying to understand the various possibilities that
explain the core of a person’s behavior and emotions.
Common among students, workaholics, and the elderly, is sleep
deprivation. Whether one experiences complete deprivation or partial
deprivation, the impact is noticeable, and can have the same effects as simply
postponing bedtime by a few hours.
There exist several sleep disorders, but none are more problematic than
insomnia. Without going into much detail, it is sufficient to consider insomnia
and other sleep disturbances as greatly impacting the quality of life an individual
is currently living.
Dreams are a very significant part of non-Western societies, especially in
Islamic culture. Although there is an interest in the meaning of dreams in all
societies, most Western societies tend to view dreams as either chemical
reactions in the brain or as nocturnal forms of making sense out of the previous
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day’s events. Dreams tend to hold greater meaning and importance amongst the
uneducated and/or traditionally-minded segments of society.
Dreams are often the well-spring of creativity and therefore should be seen
as such. Putting too much emphasis on dreams, especially as they pertain to
important life events can have disastrous results.
However, it is important to keep in mind that dreams are a very elusive
phenomena that cannot be explained and understood neatly and succinctly. The
most important thing to do is to develop a personal opinion on dreams that has
been researched. This, coupled with one’s own experiences with dreams will
more than likely develop into a sound basis for being able to approach others’
perspectives.
Hypnosis has been often, and continues to be taboo. As I would with any
controversial topic, I encourage educating oneself from the perspectives of those
who are for a particular stance or issue, as well as reading and discussing such
issues from within one’s world view. Why is it necessary to read the perspectives
of those we don’t agree with? We do so precisely so that we can look at the
world from their perspective without necessarily believing and living their
perspective. We are in the world, but not of the world.
Hypnosis is defined as a systematic procedure that typically produces a
heightened state of suggestibility. We often see this as a form of manipulation
and therefore shun it. A common complaint is that hypnosis encourages
disinhibition. In other words, it leads people to do or say things that they
otherwise would not do or say at all. It would also seem to fly in the face of the
SDA church’s strong belief in free will.
Another controversial area that deserves much study amongst church
leaders is meditation. Meditation is a very general word. Meditation to Hindus,
Buddhists, and Taoists is associated with yoga, Zen, and transcendental
meditation. Meditation to Christians and Jews usually involves spending
moments of time in prayer, spiritual contemplation, and worship. It is vitally
necessary that Eastern meditation be understood from all sides because as there
is a negative side to this form of meditation, there are also positive results, and
this is sometimes very difficult to reconcile. Many of the positive results do take
place as a result of Christian meditation as well, but to the practicioner who is
utilizing whatever form of meditation he or she knows, will not see the need to
change because of the Christian perspective that Eastern meditation is dangerous.
It is also important to consider those Christians who are struggling with their
concept of a loving God, pain, or irreconcialable anger, and then find relief,
peace, and solace in Eastern traditions. One has to ask the question: Do I blame
them for grasping at any form of help?
In the last few paragraphs of this section, the topic of drug use needs to be
addressed. The prevalence of drug use and abuse is not to be questioned. The
questions that seems necessary to ask are, who in my church is susceptible to the
influence of drug use? How can I become more aware of the lifestyle of my
church members? A common blunder that I think most individuals make is that
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they become too outspoken about certain issues. Imagine the pastor who gathers
the youth together and talks to them about drug use and the implications it can
have on their lives. First of all, most young people are quite aware of its impact.
Secondly, they’ve heard all the preaching they can take about the topic. Thirdly,
if the youth perceive that they cannot approach their pastor about their drug
problem because of his judgmental and adamant attitude, they will hide their
habit from an individual they are suppposed to be able to seek help from when all
else fails. And this doesn’t just apply to drug use either. An informed pastor who
has firm beliefs, coupled with a non-judgmental and approachable attitude will
be successful in reaching his parishioners when the need to help, encourage, or
correct and reprove becomes necessary.
Learning
This is more than likely the most studied area in an introductory
psychology course because learning is a continual process that begins while the
child is still in the womb until the moment of death. The key concepts studied in
learning are classical conditioning, operant conditioning, biology and
conditioning, cognition and conditioning, and observational learning.
The necessity of understanding the various learning processes is central to
leading, impacting, and achieving positive results with a church. If the pastor is a
leader, and they are, then the church members are the followers. Although there
are many opportunities for leaders to learn from their followers, more often, it is
the followers who are more than willing to have their leader guide them through
the avenue of teaching. An emphasis in studying various learning processes is
covered in all introductory courses and provides explanations as to forms of
learning that work for various situations, results of things learned, and the
consistency of success with various processes of achieving learning. Further
topics include principles of reinforcement, that is, maintaining and/or making
stronger that which has already been learned. As an example, imagine that every
time a child finishes eating the spinach on their plate, they get a cookie. If the
child is continuously eating the spinach and continously getting the cookie, then
the cookie has become the reinforcement. That is, the cookie is the reward for
eating spinach.
Whether pastors like it or not, their influence on the church is very high.
Certain expectations will take place and much opinion and learning is going to be
formed and made because of the pastor’s leadership. They need to understand
just how important their impact will be. They need to know how to influence
others. They need to know how their influence affects others. They need to
know how to be successful with their church members. Understanding and
applying the principles of learning will greatly determine how successful they
will be, and this sometimes means thinking outside the box. It might mean
suspending personal opinions of what they think is the most effective way of
achieving a goal and trying something new and different.
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Understanding learning may also impact the way church members interact
with their children and the spiritual, physical, mental, social, and emotional
growth that will take place. A knowledgeable pastor is going to be able to detect
constructive forms of teaching from destructive forms and be better equipped to
intervene when, for instance, an abusive parent overly punishes their child. A
knowledgeable pastor will be able to work with his or her staff in preparing
curriculi for the various levels in Sabbath school divisions in a way that will most
enhance the learning process.
Motivation and Emotion
A reading and a lecture on motivation and emotion will more than likely
cover the theories and concepts of motivation, the motivation of hunger and
eating, sexual motivation and behavior, affiliation (belongingness), achievement,
various elements of emotional experience, and theories of emotion.
Motivation is the drive to perform a certain behavior. What drives a person
to overeat? What motivates a group of individuals to break away from the church
establishment and start an off-shoot form of the other church? Simply answered,
(if that is possible) is the belief that one or many have about an issue or event.
The individual who is driven to overeat may find comfort in food simply because
food is always there for them, never lets them down, satisfies their need. Those
who overeat may be doing so because of feelings of rejection, neglect, or
loneliness. In a very sad way, they go to food for comfort and consistency.
Nevermind the fact that they can’t speak with or relate to food like they would
with other humans. But this is just an example.
Motivation helps us understand why people act the way they do. The
motivating factor may not be clearly discerned, but it can be discovered.
Discovering the motivating factor is an explanation for what is going on, not an
excuse. He drinks because he is depressed. He beats his wife (not because she
won’t agree with what he says) but because her refusal to agree with him makes
him feel powerless and out of control. When such factors are discovered, then a
better understanding of how to further intercede can take place.
Sexual motivation was created by God. Were there no motivation, the
human race would have stopped with Adam and Eve. This is an internal
construct that God has put in us that has an element of choice, for we are not
driven by instinct only to mate like other animals. Because of sin, we have
acquired quite a few external stimuli that take sexual motivation to the extreme.
One such stimulus is erotic material, or pornography. Indeed, erotic material
does motivate one towards sex, but that is not all (and therein lies the problem).
That problem can lead to sexual dysfunction, incest, rape, disease, feelings of
low self-worth, and the list goes on.
However, sexual motivation that is blessed by God requires none of these
unhealthy external stimuli. It seems that many individuals don’t quite know how
to approach the topic of sex, let alone understand it within themselves. For
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some, sex is merely a reproductive tool, others understand it as a reproductive
tool as well as a form of pleasure that enhances the intimacy between two
individuals. Others don’t see sex as anything but a form of pleasurable
entertainment with as many partners as they would like. Church leaders need to
understand what is going on in the church and in the minds of the church
members if they are going to be able to address the topic. And this leads me to
the next point.
Sex, not just sexual motivation, seems to be that one topic that never
makes it into sermons, or even into discussions with young people, at least in a
comfortable way. Could it be that the church is wary of having Bible discussion
groups on the Song of Solomon? Could it be that the church has conditioned its
members to avoid the topic of sex because it is intimate? Again, the student
pastor needs to expose him or herself to information on the topic of sex and all of
its wonderful aspects. The liberation of sex is not about promiscuity, it’s about
being able to discuss it within appropriate contexts. And furthermore, sex needs
to be understood in the broader spectrum than just intercourse. Much education
needs to take place on this topic in order to provide not just for the personal
needs of a pastor, but for the benefit of the church. Church members will find it
so much easier if they don’t have to explain sex and sexual maturation to their
children if someone else will do it. That is an unfortunate situation. If someone
will explain it then let it be someone educated and comfortable enough.
Confronting families where there is sexual abuse or a sexual dysfunction
within the marriage is best handled within the context of pastoral help. Studying
sexual motivation is one of the keys to understanding sex. It therefore important
to understand it from an enironmental/societal perspective as well as a biological
perspective.
In the controversial perspective of homosexuality, the best that can be said
is to follow Biblical teachings. David G. Meyers, a contributing author of
Views (2000) says: “Issues related to sexual
orientation will surely challenge the church for some years to come. It therefore
behooves us all to discern biblical mandates and priorities, critically evaluate and
learn from the natural revelations of science, regard one another with love and
grace, and learn from one another through open, honest dialogue (pg.79).” This
can also be supplemented by reading material on the topic of homosexuality both
from the pro-homosexuality forum and from the anti-homosexuality perspective.
In studying homosexuality, one needs to address their own personal attitude
towards this lifestyle. Questions that need to be asked include: Am I
homophobic? Do I view homosexuality as a pathology or as an alternative
lifestyle? What will I do if a church member or someone in the community takes
the courageous step to inform me of their homosexual tendencies or lifestyle?
Will I shun them? Will I castigate them? Will I listen attentively and respect
them? Will I be able to understand that by telling me about this aspect of their
life, they are risking a lot? Will I be able to treat them with dignity and keep their
confidence? Will they be able to trust me? One really has to wonder how many
Psychology and Christianity: Four
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lonely people are out there with secrets, whether they be secrets of sexual
orientation or not, who need to talk with someone and not be judged.
Affiliation is the need to belong. Again, there are many lonely people out
there. To understand them and to put oneself into their world and see things from
their perspectives is an art. Affiliation is not just being a member of a family, a
group, or even a church. Affiliation is the need to associate with others and
develop and maintain social bonds. Big churches have a problem with attending
to the affiliation needs of its members. No doubt some small churches have
similar problems when they fail to attend to each other by either keeping to
themselves, or forming inflexible, exclusive groups. Not readily apparent are
those families that seem to function just well by all appearance but within that
family nucleus is an individual that needs to be reached out to.
Everyone senses a need to achieve. Talents can be brought out and
recognized and ultimately encouraged. Those with potential need to be prodded
and encouraged to develop and refine. Striving for achievement or mastery and
complimenting go hand-in-hand. Personality needs to be considered. There are
those who achieve rather easily because of their personality while there are those
who may be afraid of failure and therefore stall, hesitate, and take longer to
achieve. This can sometimes lead to feelings of unworthiness or self-loathing, or
vice versa.
Life is saturated with emotion. There is the emotion of grief at the death of
a loved one, joy at a wedding, anger at the loss of a job. We all experience these
emotions in one way or another. At times, emotions are hard to interpret. How is
an individual to feel when they finally meet their biological parent after years of
living in a foster home? Such experiences can carry a bitter-sweet flavor. The
necessity of having a pastor or elder recognize that his or her job description
includes attending to the subjective world of emotions for individuals in the
church, is very high. With an increase of unpredictable world events at the macro
level, and an increase in Satan’s efforts to destroy individual lives at the micro
level, a counter-response must be made.
Another perspective when confronting emotions is the element of
subjectivity. Each individual experiences an event in a unique way based on their
past experiences. To approach someone from their frame of referece rather than
your own makes it easier for you and them to make sense of themselves, their
responses, and to events. This of course is easier said than done. Meeting the
emotional needs of one part of the church’s body increases the health of the
overall body!
Awareness is quite necessary in attending to others. When one knows what
to look for, what signs an individual exhibits, the message their body language is
sending, then reaching out successfully will more than likely take place.
As far as theories of emotion are concerned, an exposure to various
theories provides a basis of understanding the various components in emotional
experiencing thereby providing a platform by which to understand and work with
an individual.
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Human Development
This section can only cover the surface of human development across the
life span. Topics break down as follows: prenatal development, childhood,
transition and adolescence, adulthood (personality development, family life,
aging and physical changes, aging and cognitive changes, and death).
Why is it necessary to know what goes on in human development from
conception to death? Don’t most people do just fine in life without knowing all
the details? To answer the first question succinctly, the quality of life can be
greatly improved when one knows and applies that knowledge to themselves. In
answer to the second question, sure, life can be liveable, but why settle for a
mediocre existance when you can apply the answer to the first question?
It is not enough to know the stages of prenatal development. It’s also
vitally important to consider environmental factors such as maternal nutrition,
maternal drug use, maternal illness and how they affect the unborn child, not to
mention the course of the child’s life outside the womb. What impact does the
environment have on the child during the early years? Is there something to be
said about early childhood attachment, neglect, cognitive development that could
quite literally impact the course of later life? What about personality
development? Isn’t an understanding of development necessary in order to
educate parents or young adults--potential parents? Isn’t the knowldege of
development a safeguard in preventing potential problems in the later years of
young church members? Aren’t the preventative measures now taken going to
safeguard the church’s future stability as a result? It’s all interconnected.
Understanding the cognitive development of children helps us understand
the moral development. Understanding moral development gives spiritual guides
knowldege on how to use tools to influence the course of young people in the
church in the most effective ways possible.
Due to more and more available information on adolescent development,
more and more young adults are being taught about human development.
However, there is a loophole. Not many adults understand or find it necessary to
explain developmental phenomena to their adolescents. If an adolescent does not
understand what and why their bodys’ are developing in the ways that they are, it
is understandable that a sense of fear will develop as will a propensity to low
self-esteem. Adolesecents are very aware of their bodies and their feelings. They
just need help in making sense of what is going on. When all is said and done, a
well-adjusted adolsecent will tend to be a more well-adjusted teenager.
Adolescents and the teen years impact one in social and cognitive ways.
Attending to youth in the church and meeting their needs will do much to
smoothly transititon them throught the years of turmoil. They are moving from
childhood into adulthood. Their sense of identity is at stake.
Development doesn’t stop after the teen years. The personality continues
to evolve even in adulthood. What about the reappraisals of life that are made at
midlife? By midlife, individuals are no longer dependent on their parents for
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acceptance and help. When midlife happens, who will they turn towhen and if
there is a need to talk or receive encouragement? Who is going to listen and
provide informed help?
A major transition that takes place in most adult lives is marriage.
Marriage and family counseling is needed much more as we approach the end of
time. Next to the devil’s attempt to dismantle the Sabbath, is his efforts to
dismantle the family structure ordained from the beginning. From a therpeutic
perspective, this work will probably be the most common form of counseling.
Afterall, the family is composed of various personalities and wills.
At the other end of life is old age which comes with its unique set of
challenges and adjustments. Elderly individuals may experience loneliness or a
sense of uselessness as they get replaced in the work place. Bodily changes are also
taking place that can be dehumanizing. Cognitive functions start to decrease. Often
time, the elderly meet needs by being involved in their families or in social circles.
However, attending to the existential needs of this age group need to take place.
Personality
Studies in personality and social behavior tend to get emphasized in
psychology courses for pastors more than any other equally important area.
Because of this emphasis, much knowledge of the necessity of studying
personality does not need to be explained. Within the confines of personality
study there are some very important areas that must be discussed. First,
personality is not just the four temperaments (Sanguine, Melancholy,
Phlegmatic, and Choleric). It is actually quite necessary to study and discover
that personality is an umbrella term that is best understood from various
psychological theories. The earliest theory is the psychoanalytic theory founded
by Sigmund Freud. Gerald Corey describes his theory as a “...theory of
personality development...it focuses on unconscious factors that motivate
behavior. Attention is given to the events of the first 6 years of life as
determinants of the later development of personality (pg. 8).” Later theorists such
as Carl Jung and Alfred Adler adjusted some components of Freud’s theory to fit
their perspectives. The psychodynamic theory covers these three perspectives. A
second theory is the behavioral perspective which tries to understand psychology
based on observable behavior. The indivduals who contributed largely to this
perspective are B. F. Skinner, Albert Bandura, and Walter Mischel. A third is the
humanistic perspective. This perspective seeks to explain personality from the
phenomenological world of the indivdual. It attempts to appreciate the
individual’s personal subjective experience in order to understand their behavior.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow are key figures. A fourth perspective in
understanding personality is the biological perspective. This emphasizes the role
of genetics, inherited predispositions and how they explain personality. The
works of Hans Eysenck can be studied to gleen more information.
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It is important to realize that no one theory explains behavior, but that
elements of all four perspectives create an interconnected and balanced approach in
undersanding personality. It is necessary to study all four orientations in order to
understand behaviors and why certain behaviors are performed. Lastly,
contemporary research continually sheds new and important light on the concept of
personality. To study only the historical perspectives is to study the understanding
and learning processes of personality as shaped by the world today.
Stress, Coping, and Health
Stress is an everyday event experienced either positively or negatively.
Studying stress and how people cope with it and how stress impacts their health
will go a long way in helping a pastor better identify, understand, and help those
in need. These areas are a must for all future and current pastors. Stress is not just
something that a pastor can help a member address, it is something they will
experience in their professional and private lives on a regular basis. In order to
help those around them, they will need to know how stress affects them
personally, what stresses them, how they respond to stress, and if their response
is healthy.
Useful topics covered include the major types of stress such as frustration,
conflict, change, and pressure. Other areas covered should be responses to stress
(i.e. emotional responses, physiological responses, and behavioral responses), the
effects of stress on psychological funtioning (i.e. impaired task performance,
burnout, psychological problems and disorders, as well as positive effects), the
effects of stress on physical health (i.e. hostility and heart disease, depression and
heart disease, immune functioning, and other physical ailments), factors
moderating the impact of stress such as social support, and optimism and
conscientioiusness, and health imparing behavior (i.e. smoking, poor nutirion,
lack of exercise, alcohol and drug use, and behavior and AIDS). Knowing how
people cope with stresses in their every day lives can be half the battle. Fighting
the other half involves fight against the unhealthy coping mechanisms.
A problem that has been around for the last decade or so has been Internet
addiction. Although this has spawned problems, the addiction can also be the
result of problems.
So far, a lot of information has been presented. How can all this
information be useful? First of all, it is important to realize that psychology is not
necessarily about isolated events, or isolated responses. There are interrelated
components that work simultaneously. For example, a pregnant mother is
experiencing depression, and as a result, she starts drinking. At about the same
time she hears that her daughter has just become engaged. Several
psychologically impacting events are taking place. First of all, she is pregnant
which means an adjustment to her already routine life. Secondly, she is
depressed and this has driven her to drink perhaps (a coping mechanism that also
has potential to impact the physical and cognitive health of her baby). Third,
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news of the engagement may either excite positive or negative emotions
depending on several factors such as what her relationship with her daughter is
like, what kind of man her daughter will marry, or a host of other explanations.
Social Behavior
This is another fascinating element of psychology that most people think
of first. Behavior in the context of others can tell us a lot of things about
themselves. Getting a good grasp of how social behavior manifests itself will
prove powerfully useful. A class session or two spent discussing social behavior
should include topics in the process of forming impressions of others (i.e. effects
of physical apperarance, cognitive schemas, stereotypes, and subjectivity),
process of attributions or explaining behavior (i.e. attributions for success and
failure, bias, defensive attributions), close relationships (i.e. elements in
attraction, perspectives on life), attitudes (i.e. components and dimensions of
attitudes, attitudes and behavior, and theories of attitude formation and change),
conformity and obedience, behavior in groups (i.e. work productivity, social
responsibility, helping behavior, and decision making).
The study of psychology will enhance the quality of the pastor-member
relationship. By being more aware of and involved in the lives of members, by
being aware of how their lives are being impacted (in an unobtrusive way as
possible), and by being aware of trends in society, the pastor will be able to work
successfully with his or her congregation.
This has been a rather short presentation of what I believe should be
included in an introductory psychology course as well as why it is necessary to
have psychology as part of a pastor’s curriculum. Psychology is an inescapable
necessity. To go into the field without applicable material to confront the issues
of today is almost like trying to bake bread with out salt.Times have changed
although each generation has had its share of difficulties and challenges. The
difficulties and challenges of today are different. The intensity of life on earth
has only gotten stronger. The events experienced have only drawn-out intense
emotions and behavioral responses.
Bibliography and References
Corey, G. (2000). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth/Thomsen Learning.
Johnson, E. L., & Jones, S. L. (2000). Psychology and christianity: Four views.
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Weiten, W. (2004). Psychology: Themes and variations. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/
Thomsen Learning.
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Andrej Kiš
Andrews University in Berrien Springs
SAD
PSIHOLOGIJA I PASTIRSKO SAVETOVANJE
Rezime
Pastirsko savetovanje je prisutno jako dugo, mnogo duže od moderne psihologije,
barem što se tiče profesije. Rad sveštenika i pastora uglavnom se bavi
odgovornošću pružanja duhovnog usmerenja, dok je psihologija više posvećena
razumevanju apstraktnih i konkretnih funkcija centralnog nervnog sistema i
endokrinog sistema, psihičkim procesima i osobinama ličnosti. Ove dve discipline
su uglavnom bile okrenute jedna protiv druge, često međusobno sumnjičave i
nepoverljive, a u najboljem slučaju stvarale su nelagodni savez. U idealnom
slučaju, studenti poučavani umetnosti pastirskog savetovanja imali su ponuđeno
više predavanja iz psihologije i savetovanja. Takođe, dobrodošlo bi bilo
studentima psihologije da imaju više predmeta iz duhovnosti i etike. Ovo vodi
pitanju zašto je neophodno proučavati psihologiju. Šta može psihologija da
doprinese pastoralnom radu? Ovaj rad se bavi davanjem odgovora na ova pitanja.
Svesni smo činjenice da je davanje odgovora na ova pitanja veoma teško zato što
je sama tema dovoljno opširna da se samo o o njoj napiše cela knjiga.
Ključne reči: psihologija, sveštenstvo, pastirsko savetovanje, hrišćanstvo.
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