Despite the traditional notion that theology and psychology do not mix the recent literature offers numerous examples of theologians intent on demonstrating that the integration of the two is valuable for students of both domains and, above all, is valuable for those who believe that God is essential to every aspect of human well-being but also find that in many instances an understanding of how the mind works is an invaluable complement to understanding how God works in one's life. Those who benefit from this integration can be pastoral care-givers, troubled individuals, theologians alarmed by barren scientific rationalism, or psychologists who have come to understand that the focus on ultimate concerns is what makes life meaningful and purposeful for millions of people. The literature addresses the conflict between psychology and theology that derives from the hostile attitude of the former which, since Freud, has not only underrated the importance of the spiritual in people's lives but has actively "disparaged religious expression and beliefs" (Cortes, 1999, p. 20). The justifications for this disparagement extend back to the Enlightenment's elevation of reason (based solely on induction and evidence) to the position of sole arbiter of human beliefs. But the mistaken notion that scientific rationalism should be applied to every human endeavor has been identified and understood as a mistake by many people and it is now more widely understood that science of any sort--even psychology--is not necessarily at odds with theology. Although the implications of a rationalist approach to the study of psychology certainly raise many more complex questions than those in, say, physics or astronomy, there are many psychologists and theologians and pastoral workers who recognize that any effort to comprehend any aspect of creation and its most complex creature can be consistent with the effort to apprehend the Creator.
A brief discussion...