I am not a psychologist, but I gained a great deal of insight from the recent book by Alvin Dueck and Kevin Reimer entitled A Peaceable Psychology: Christian Therapy in a World of Many Cultures (Baker, 2009). In many ways, the peaceable psychology articulated by Dueck and Reimer could be transferred easily in the terms of a peaceable theology or a peaceable ethics or a peaceable ministry. A good summary of what they mean by a peaceable psychology can be found in the conclusion, which includes the following elements:
- Not reducing people to their symptoms, but entering into solidarity with their suffering.
- Pledges allegiance to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and his kingdom above any earthly empire, thus eschewing the trappings of colonialism and cultivating political and cultural sensitivity.
- Valuing diversity and difference rather than universalizing and harmonizing every difference.
- Challenging the notion of secularity and recognizing the sacred element of every culture through methods that accommodate religion.
- Recognizing the value of mother tongues, and encouraging clients to articulate problems and stories in their own language.
- Facilitating thick discourse, which values the fullness of “beliefs, symbols, traditions, and practices in communal traditions.”
- Gleaning what is best from indigenous traditions.
- Giving priority to peaceful healing through empowering “local practitioners who wish to explore the contours of psychology sensitive to their culture.”
- Grounding psychology in the new foundation of the peaceable person and work of Jesus Christ.
In short, Dueck and Reimer are practicing and pleading for a peaceable psychology grounded in the peace-making work of God in Jesus and oriented toward promoting peace with others through entering into their suffering, valuing their differences, dialoguing in their language, respecting their culture and traditions, and learning from their wisdom.
It is remarkable to consider how this peaceable approach to psychology could be applied to other disciplines and areas of ministry. Consider youth ministry. Can you imagine the effectiveness of a youth ministry that was grounded in the person and work of Jesus and oriented toward bringing peace into the lives of adolescents by entering into their suffering, valuing their unique differences, dialoguing in their language, respecting their culture and traditions, and learning from their wisdom (yes, adolescents have wisdom too!)? This is just one example of how the peaceable psychology advocated by Dueck and Reimer could bear fruit, even for those who are not trained in psychology or psychotherapy.
So even if you have never read a book on psychology before, A Peaceable Psychology would be a good place to begin.
No comments:
Post a Comment