Psychology In The Spirit Contours Of A Transformational Psychology

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Book Reviews / Pneuma 33 (2011) 109-169

John H. Coe and Todd W. Hall, Psychology in the Spirit: Contours of a Transformational Psychology (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2010). 446 pp., $30.00, paperback.

Coe and Hall are professors at the Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology of Biola Uni- versity. Unlike most graduate students, Rosemead students have historically received dual if not triadic training in psychology, theology, and philosophy. Tus, the combination of theologian and psychologist writing this volume is an analogue of the philosophy of educa- tion/clinical training at Rosemead and of the authors’ intent for this volume.

Coe and Hall’s current volume is part of InterVarsity’s series which seeks to discover new ways of examining the relationship between academic disciplines in the university and the Christian faith. In keeping with the intent of the series, it is apparent that the authors are not attempting to relate Christianity with psychology in a token fashion; rather, they unapologetically state that their work is a thorough Christian reinterpretation of psychol- ogy with “spiritual formation at the forefront” of their eﬀort (28). Te authors argue for a new transformational model for “doing” psychology and science, which in their opinion, “inherently and intrinsically is already Christian and open to the Spirit” (35). Succinctly put, the stated goal of the book is to redeem and transform psychology by the Spirit. To that end, they propose a transformed and transforming psychology, ergo Transformational Psychology (TP), that is centrally focused upon the cross, the power of the Holy Spirit, and a relational view of the person. Tey further state that this transformation is accomplished by focusing upon the individual psychologist, the process of doing psychology in the Spirit, and the product of the results from that process. In summary, the authors posit that TP “insists that the person determines the process, which in turn, determines the product of doing psychology” (87).

Building upon these three foci, the authors identify and deﬁne the contours of ﬁve inter- related and interdependent levels that comprise the remaining 14 chapters of the volume. Tey oﬀer thorough and dense descriptions of each level. Level 1 is the transformation of the psychologist, and being faithful to their ﬁrst focus and level, Coe and Hall begin with their own transformative journeys modeling intimacy and self-disclosure. Requisites for the transformation of the psychologist are salviﬁc (i.e., abdicating autonomy from God, acknowledgement of personal sin, repentance, redemption, identity in Christ, being ﬁlled with the Spirit) and characterological (i.e., development of disciplines such as virtues, hon- esty, worship, prayer of recollection, renunciation of idolatry, discernment of evil/work of Satan, and contemplation). Without these requisites that are founded in and motivated by love for God and neighbor, knowledge and epistemology are radically distorted and trun- cated (i.e., limited to the physical dimension) and result in “science [having] swung back and forth between employing either rigid, impossible standards for common knowing (bor- dering on skepticism altogether), and advancing unjustiﬁed presuppositions with a vehe- ment dogmatism cloaked as scientiﬁc, apodictic truth” (113).

Te authors’ discussion of Level 2 (Methodology) begins with a historical-philosophical analysis that identiﬁes problems for modern science-psychology and its universal method of quantiﬁcation related to values, mental objects, and ethics. In response to the epistemo- logical and methodological limitations of modern science, as well as building upon the idea that reality (ontology) determines scientiﬁc methodology (epistemology), Coe argues that

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Book Reviews / Pneuma 33 (2011) 109-169

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TP is a holy practice open to the truth, discoverable in all reality in God, and grounded in the foundational spiritual-epistemological disciplines. Coe oﬀers alternatives to the con- stricted methodologies of science by stating that the Wisdom literature serves an excellent illustration of the holistic and realistic pursuit of science in general and psychology in par- ticular. Coe identiﬁes the Old Testament sage as the exemplar for providing a cosmological and teleological understanding of human behavior because the sage derives his wisdom from Yahweh’s wisdom. It is demonstrated that the sage, scientist, and psychologist can be synonymous roles.

Levels 3-5 address the content of TP, the praxis of soul care, and the ultimate goal of TP, respectively. Transformational Psychology is informed by biblical and Christian under- standings of Christology drawing heavily upon the work of the Holy Spirit and the person as spirit. Te authors compare/contrast this with the reductionistic, behavioral, psychody- namic, relational, and existential secular models of understanding.

Several strengths and beneﬁts emerged in this volume but only a small selection will be mentioned. First, Coe and Hall have provided a fresh and comprehensive paradigm alterna- tive to extant Christian psychology integration models (Biblical Counseling, Manipulative Integration, Non-manipulative Integration) as well as secular models. Second, the reader- ship will be broad ranging from the undergraduate reader to the scientist in psychology to the practicing psychologist. Tird, their work contains a wonderful sampling and integra- tion of Christian orthodoxy, church fathers, secular psychology theorists, and philosophy (ancient, renaissance, and modern). Fourth, the in-depth discussions on the philosophy of science and a biblical model of doing science could have been a stand-alone work. In regards to the utility of this book for Pentecostal thought and practice, there appears to be several possibilities. First, although leaning more toward an orthodox/evangelical perspec- tive, the Pentecostal reader will most likely ﬁnd the Christology and pneumatology to be generally satisfying. Second, their proposals are solidly grounded in a biblical/Christian worldview that is commensurate with most, if not all, Pentecostal universities and seminar- ies. Tis volume should be seriously considered as requisite or supplemental reading by departments of psychology. Tird, the authors propose a training model that could be adopted by (or at least adapted to) graduate counseling/psychology programs to facilitate personal and professional transformation of students in Pentecostal universities/seminaries. However, the Pentecostal reader may ﬁnd the discussion on gifts of the Spirit a bit ane- mic, neglecting the more controversial supernatural gifts of the Spirit (i.e., glossolalia, prophecy, miracles, interpretation, etc.). To avoid an in-depth discussion of all of the gifts of the Spirit would seem to be unnecessarily limiting epistemologically, ontologically and methodologically. Further, this omission seems to counter the overall goal of the authors to discover God’s full revelation of creation without trepidation (“remaining honest and open to all reality and truth about the person”; 38). Nonetheless, this shortcoming could be eas- ily resolved if the authors supplemented their paradigm in future work.

Reviewed by Robert L. Moore Associate Professor/Licensed Psychologist Argosy University, Nashville, Tennessee [email protected]

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