Does Christian Psychology Exist?

For those who like straight answers, I'll say yes. It exists and it is very, very real.

Therefore, in the following lines you will find a brief summary about what is Christian psychology and how it is translated into practice.

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What do we understand by Christian psychology?

We often forget that Psychology ("speaking of the Soul", etymologically speaking) is a complex, global and fascinating world.

It covers very different aspects of reality: it develops continuous scientific investigations of which all psychologists we nourish ourselves and they serve as a touchstone to give solidity to all the knowledge that is leaving accumulating.

And it also continuously investigates, among all that human knowledge offers, about what can be useful for people to improve their lives.

Therefore, Psychology is constantly evolving, creating and shaping knowledge, concepts and techniques that are based on the most recent discoveries and also on all the knowledge, techniques and experiences accumulated by the humanity.

But there is another aspect: Psychology is not only a branch of knowledge. It is also a way of being and being in the world, a living and vibrant perspective that is constantly evolving for each person.

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Main myths about this form of Psychology

It is curious that if we say, for example, that there is a Buddhist psychology, it seems very normal to us. But if we say that there is a Christian Psychology, we find the most disparate attitudes. And that is due to a multitude of prejudices that we drag.

Let's see some of them.

1. Christian psychology only works for Christians

It is not true because over the centuries, a large amount of knowledge, experiences and techniques have been accumulated that They can be useful not only to Christians of any denomination, but also to people of any religion and to agnostics and atheists.

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2. Christian knowledge is retrograde and closed

This prejudice is due to ignorance of reality. Christian thought is a continuous hive of ideas and proposals, of new approaches and people who always seek to go one step further in the search for knowledge. Many people, at this very moment, are working so that the enormous amount of knowledge accumulated in so many centuries of history can serve humanity, believe what you believe.

3. If we talk about psychotherapy, the Christian approach does not serve to solve all problems

True, as long as we keep in mind that there is not a single current in the world of psychotherapy that serves to solve all problems.

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What does it translate into in practice?

Christianity has a lot to contribute to the world of Psychology. Throughout its centuries of history, it has accumulated a series of resources, techniques, knowledge and ways of doing things, which adapted and updated, can be invaluable tools for development human.

But we cannot finish the article without giving some practical examples.

It is well known that In the business world, the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola have penetrated very deeply. Adapted and modernized, they are used today in a multitude of company courses and seminars. And his philosophy is studied in various faculties, without the need for its participants to be Christians.

It is also booming the resource of spiritual retreats in Christian monasteries, retreats aimed at all kinds of people who want to order their lives and learn to reposition what is really important.

Finally, I will mention that there are multiple groups made up of people who are rediscovering the world of silence and meditation hand in hand with techniques that Christian hermits already used many centuries ago. The benefits of these practices are countless.

And we could go on and on giving examples, such as the enormous fascination that the monastic life, the new uses in psychotherapy of metaphors and images from the Gospels in psychotherapy…

Perhaps the most important step we must take in order to benefit from this enormous body of knowledge is to put aside our preconceptions and ask ourselves what it is. the legacy that so many people have left us dedicated to the cultivation of the inner world. Certainly, Christian psychology is more alive than ever and we will see that it contributes more and more to our lives.