Faith and science are two distinct philosophical worldviews which have been a framework through which we view and understand human nature. While these two worldviews are somewhat divergent, they are both ways of understanding and...
moreFaith and science are two distinct philosophical worldviews which have been a framework through which we view and understand human nature. While these two worldviews are somewhat divergent, they are both ways of understanding and discovering nature. Historically, faith and science have been at odds with one another. However, efforts have been made to obtain a more complete view of human nature through the eyes of both worldviews. Because both faith and science are different ways of looking at God’s creation, we must understand the philosophical assumptions which undergird each worldview and attempt to find common ground in order to formulate a truly integrated view of the natural world. More specifically, the academic discipline of psychology and Christian theology both endeavor to understand human behavior. However, these two disciplines begin with divergent perspectives about human behavior such that the relationship between the two, while having the same goals, has been somewhat tenuous historically. Recently, dialogue and discourse has occurred between Christian theology and psychology in order to provide useful perspectives which together can give us a more complete and accurate picture of human behavior and functioning than either discipline can provide alone. Thus, scholars are engaging in the formulation of models of relating Christian theology and psychology. Specifically, efforts are underway to develop more effective models of integration between the disciplines.
