Psychology

“In a therapeutic culture in which our goal is to be our very best, it is almost impossible to serve God. The reason is quite simple: when my goal is to be my very best, the goal is my God. “Serving God” thus becomes a euphemism for a Christianity that we take to be therapeutic – and that its value lies in its therapeutic virtues. All of this is a stranger to the invitation of Christ, which begins with an exhortation to take up the Cross, promises persecutions and sufferings, and generally offers a fullness of life that has nothing to do with our cultural goal.” (Father Stephen Freeman)

“Cognitive therapists, furthermore, use rationalism, empiricism, atomism, and pragmatism with all the intellectual rigor of their modern philosophical manifestations. When the church fathers employ these tools, they do so as acting under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who subtly moves pure hearts who love Christ. This transforms these earth-born tools into interventions of heavenly wisdom that do far more than overcome a particular problem with thoughts, emotions, or behaviors. The fathers' words re-align the soul to God even as a musician adjusts the strings of a harp in order to produce a soothing melody.” (Bishop Alexis Trader)

“… much of Christianity has created an “extrinsic” view of our relationship with God and the path of salvation. In this, God is seen as exterior to our life, our relationship with Him being analogous to the individualized contractual relationships of modern culture. As such the Christian relationship with God is reduced to psychology and morality. It is reduced to psychology in that the concern is shifted to God’s “attitude” towards us. The psychologized atonement concerns itself with God’s wrath. It is reduced to morality in that our behavior is no more than our private efforts to conform to an external set of rules and norms. We are considered “good” or “bad” based on our performance, but without regard to the nature of that performance. St. Paul says that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Only our lives-lived-in-union-with-Christ have the nature of true salvation, true humanity. This is the proper meaning of being “saved by grace.” (Father Stephen Freeman)

“…the ultimate trauma victim, Christ himself, cannot heal this persistent pattern of separation which the trauma sufferer endures–if the Beauty of His resurrection cannot unfold into the Goodness of a soul therapy that makes the person again whole, or “true,”–then the Gospel would be “of no account”…But Christ can heal trauma, and the radiant beauty of His resurrection does indeed unfold into the Goodness of a perfect soul therapy, as has been shown in the lives of countless people from all ages.” (Timothy G. Patitsas)

“The reality is that, while it is prudent to be cautious, one should not reject all of the concepts and knowledge that modern-day therapy has to offer. There is a need for balance, for being open but at the same time discerning. We must discern between what will bring us closer to God, better able to love our neighbor, and what might pull us away from God and cause us to become more turned inward and individualistic.” (Fr. Joshua Makoul)

“In a psychological culture, morality and psychology are the only human realities we acknowledge. We do not see nor understand the nature of spiritual things. We are locked in a world of cause and effect and presume that everything works in such a manner. The landscape of psychological causes (and effects) is the world as we choose to see it. But it does not see the landscape of the Kingdom of God – that which is birthed in believers in their Baptism. One of the great challenges…is making the transition from psychology to true spirituality. Some teachers suggest that many will fail to do so – and will thus fail to realize the reality of their birthright in Christ.” (Father Stephen Freeman)

“Modern psychology has told us we must feel good about ourselves and has instructed us to reject the idea of guilt and sin. The idea of sin is seen as religion’s instrument for keeping people in line, making them dependent on an institution that should be relegated to the Dark Ages. In an age where humans are elevated to being their own gods, religion is seen as a sort of enslavement.” (Abbot Tryphon)

“While the last couple of decades have seen the field of psychology discovering all kinds of new addictions (sex, gaming, the Internet, and so on), the Bible has recognized the phenomenon of addiction for centuries, but under another name: slavery.” (Richard A. Grumberg)

“When God delivers us, we are no longer slaves to sin or victims of our passions, contrary to what pop psychology suggest. We are no longer compelled by a traumatic past, nor by our nature, nor by any force beyond our control, for we have given all to Christ…However, we must apply the power that God extends to us in Christ in order to be truly dead to sin. As with all authentic relationships, there is nothing magical about our oneness with God. He bestows this gift on us in baptism, chrismation, and communion. We must then use the gift to resist, reject, and oppose the reign of sin within us (Romans 6:12).” (Dynamis 6/27/2015)

“One of the primary reasons for psychological and emotional problems in our life today is that we do not know in our heart how truly valuable we are in the eyes of our Creator.” (Father David L. Fontes, PsyD)

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