The Sacrament of Psychology: Psychology and Religion in the Postmodern American Church

by Cox, Richard H.

• ISBN13: 9781929902156
• ISBN10: 1929902158
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-03-01
• Publisher: Insync Communications Llc

Summary

Simply put, the premise of this book is that the church has allowed itself to become overwhelmed with psychology. This is not truly new. Karl Menninger challenged both the clergy and the psychogists to consider a similar concept over twenty five years ago. Richard Cox argues that what many call "superstition of materialism" -- ascribing all power and glory to science and its accomplishments, the church has capitalized upon and through the process has lost its identity. It has done this, he challenges, by allowing the norms and diagnosis of contemporary psychology to replace the Gospel. Sparing no sacred cows among the clergy or psychologists, Cox builds a strong argument. A critical addition to the literature, The Sacrament of Psychology is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the pop-psychologist or, as he calls them, armchair-theologians. While the author accepts that theology needs psychology and psychology benefits from theology, he is quick to point out that there needs to be a redefining of this partnership in order to make the relationship truly productive. Passions rise as one symbol after another is challenged in this highly enlightening and powerfully written acknowledgement that the power of the Gospels has been, in many instances, thrown to the uncritical winds of psychological embracing. As one critic has said, the amalgam has created neither good theology nor good psychology.

Table of Contents

Dedication	ix
About the Author	xiii
Foreword	xv
Preface	xvii
Acknowledgments	xxi
Apologia	xxiii
The Church Has Gone Out of the Religion Business	1	(48)
Why America's Churches Are Failing	49	(68)
Created in a New Image	117	(24)
Here and Now --- There and Then	141	(22)
The New Snake and the New Garden	163	(24)
The ``Being Real'' Neurosis	187	(18)
What We Really Want and Need	205	(20)
There Are Answers and It Can Be Fixed	225	(72)
Benediction	297	(2)
Denouement	299	(2)
References	301	(6)
Index	307