Jesus and Psychology: An Integration for Mental Health

By George Hinn

"It is manifestly evident that religion has not always led to mental health." I remember reading this statement from the book The Psychology of Christian Personality by Ernest Ligon in the early 1960s. I was struck by it because I was told the opposite as a child growing up. Subsequent empirical evidence has shown that Ligon was correct, but why? Religion is supposed to change people. Where is the disconnect? Does religion change people, or do people change religion? Jesus instructed his followers in Matthew 28:19 to go out and make disciples of all nations. The best way for this to happen would be to change people's lives. Since research and Scripture suggest that behavior is changed more by who we are and how we behave rather than what we say, wouldn't it seem that the challenge Christians face is to provide a healthy behavioral model of the faith for all to see? The Importance of our mental health cannot be overstated. It is intrinsically involved in every aspect of our lives, from our physical well-being, our work, our play and leisure time, our attitude towards pain and suffering, our ability to deal with reality, and our ability to love. Mental health is not about being perfect, it is about becoming aware of our imperfections. Jesus confronted the perfect ones who knew it all, but he concentrated his time, love, and compassion on those who recognized their imperfections. Wouldn't it make sense to give as much attention to our mental health as we give to the above areas of our lives? In various ways, these questions have been a source of direction and study for me over my forty-plus years in teaching and counseling. This book explores these questions and possible answers in light of mental health and the integration of psychology and religion.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0BZFDM78Y
• ISBN13: 9798388614506
• Release Date: March 2023
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 184 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.4" x 6.0"