Okay, so this site has been up for a while with no update whatsoever. Well, here it is. In this post, I desire to provide a brief introduction to what I want from this blog.
My goal is to use this blog to help formulate a systematic biblical integrated model of what I call “psychotheology”: the study of God through the way he has formed the psychologies of human beings.
My hope is that this blog can later help give me a systematic approach to this topic that can then be turned into a book for later publication. As stated in the subtitle of this blog, the psychotheology of human beings will be studied in five broad categories: General psychology of humans, behavior, relationships, psychopathology, and psychological counseling. These will be studied using three perspectives.
The first is the internal perspective. From this view I hope to provide insights on the psychological make up of human beings independent of those entities without it and focus on the entities within it. From here philosophical topics may include: the source of right and wrong in the hearts and minds of humans, the desire for satiability and satisfaction, and how humans view themselves. Specifically psychological topics may include: psychopathology (origins, duration, factors involved, treatment), Perception, Cognitive worldviews, self-”esteem”, development, morality. In short, this will be studying how the human mind itself works.
Second is the human-relational perspective. As the name implies, its focus will be human psychology as expressed through interaction with other humans. Topics may include: Attraction, male-female psychology, aggression, marriage, divorce, societal roles, and race relations. From this perspective, the scope may perhaps be broadened to include some sociological analyses including politics, ethics, policing, welfare, warfare, and biblical opinions of afforementioned topics.
Lastly, but certainly not least is the deific-relational perspective. (By the way, on a side note; all of the little “names” and titles I am giving to these various topics and ideas, are open to change. I am opening this blog to all comments not only for comments on my thoughts, but even on the system used to present them, including the names.) As the name implies, this will study psychotheology in the interaction of God and man. This will be explored through topics such as: conversion, sustained conversion (who does it, is it possible to lose), perception of God, worship, subsequent worldview changes after a conversion, self-fulfillment, view of self in light of God, loci of control, and prayer.
I hope this all piques the interests of those who venture here by accident or on purpose. I also hope this will be a long and fruitful journey that changes my life and the lives of others and will lead to healthier, happier, more God-glorifying living. Lastly, I hope this can be a place where beelievers and non-believers in the God of Christianity can come and share ideas, comments, concerns, arguments, or questions.
God has been forming these ideas in my mind for a long while now, and this is the forum He has led me to so as to express them effectively and efficiently.
On our next episode: I will give a brief summary of myself. What I have to say, the perspectives I come from saying it (both theological and psychological), why I think I have the right to say it, and why you should listen.
God bless.
–Paul
