The Need for More Preaching in the Psychologist's Office or “Why Therapy Never Should Have Left the Church in the First Place”

Abstract

This article explores the relationship of theology to psychology in the formation of the Christian life in the church. What authority do we give to psychology versus preaching in the church and how do they function in relation to each other? Postmodern hermeneutics has revealed the power position of the therapist versus the preacher to interpret our lives. Psychology is an interpretation of our lives as powerful as Christianity and it can diverge from Christianity in many ways. The article explores this and the ways Jungian psychology and Christian faith can produce two totally different types of person in character and experience. It is therefore imperative for the church to understand where they may be different and make psychology the servant of the church and subservient to the preaching of the cross.