This module and next module, you are watching videos of professionals in the field who represent different viewpoints described in Johnson’s text. In this discussion, we are going to discuss the differences between the Levels of Explanation perspective and the Integration perspective. Specifically, please answer the following three questions:
How did Dr. Worthington demonstrate a Levels of Explanation approach in his talk on forgiveness?
How did Dr. McMinn demonstrate an Integration approach in his talk on Positive Psychology and the church?
What did you learn about the distinction between these two approaches to studying psychological phenomena (LOE and Integration) from watching their talks?
Response #1
Hello fellow classmates,
Dr. Worthington gave many examples and references when discussing the levels of explanation approach. Dr. Worthington discussed and analyzed the concept of Forgiveness in a Biblical manner. Dr. Worthington discussed forgiveness as hurts accompanied by a sense of injustice. The deeper the hurt, the more injustice, which is harder to forgive. Forgiveness has 2 parts: the decision to forgive and emotional forgiveness. Emotional forgiveness is different from decision. The Bible instructs us to forgive but does not tell us how. Dr. Worthington suggests using REACH which stands for: recall the hurt, empathize with the person, altruistic gift of forgiveness, commit to forgiveness, hold on to forgiveness. Dr. Worthington also explains what forgiveness is not and explained that this was asked first. Forgiveness is not forbearing, condoning, reconciling, forgetting, justifying, or about relationship. According to Dr. Worthington, there are many ways to forgive. We can turn it over to God and this divine intervention. We can not show our emotional upset for the good of ourselves and everyone which is called forbearance. There are also many reasons to forgive. We have been forgiven by God, Jesus said to forgive, It’s good to forgive and we are designed to do this, better health, better relationships and a better spiritual life. Dr. Worthington gives a clear explanation of forgiveness and how to do this in a Biblical manner. Dr. Worthington utilizes the Bible and Research to explain his perspectives on forgiveness. According to Johnson (2010), Psychological science does support biblical wisdom and the story of human nature if much the same. Dr. Worthington integrated science and Christianity and shows how these can work together.
Dr. McMinn discussed positive psychology in the church and why this matters. Dr. McMinn spoke about virtue and how this is lost in our society today. He spoke about how people focus more on their resume virtues rather than their eulogy virtues. He explains that society is geared toward the marketplace and business. Virtue is not interesting to society and has lost it’s luster. Dr. McMinn goes on to discuss Jesus and asks “Who is he?” Jesus is grace, truth and love. Jesus was a accomplished carpenter, but that is something trivial. Jesus is so much more than that. Dr. McMinn discusses Telos; which is described as becoming our full selves, fully human and we can see this is Psalm 1:3: ” That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither- whatever they do prospers. (New International Version, 2023, Psalm 1:3). Dr. McMinn also discusses self interest and how God instructs us to love one another. Dr. McMinn cites research on forgiveness and defines this as taking back power and this is for the person who is forgiving. Research shows forgiving helps health and mental health according to Dr. McMinn. Forgiveness is not only for the person forgiving, it is for God also. Dr. McMinn also discusses grace and gratitude and how research shows that these have improved health. Dr. McMinn discusses how grace and forgiveness connects back to virtue. I believe that Dr. McMinn spoke about Biblical principles but included more science and psychology than Dr. Worthington. Dr. McMinn included more research studies to back his perspectives and viewpoints.
References
Johnson, E. (2010). Psychology and Christianity, Five Views. Intervarsity Press.
[Liberty University]. McMinn, M. (2019, January 22). The Science of Virtue: Why Psychology Matters to the Church [Video]. https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/470374/pages/watch-the-science-of-virtue-why-positive-psychology-matters-to-the-church?module_item_id=51022003
[Liberty University]. Worthington, E. Why you should forgive and how to do it. [Video]. https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/470374/pages/watch-why-you-should-forgive-and-how-to-do-it?module_item_id=51021998
New International Version Bible. NIV online. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%201&version=NIV
Response #2
In the Levels of Explanation (LOE) video opens with a story in South Africa where in the wake of atrocities, they would follow Scripture and give it to God. Reasons they gave it up to God were to either zap the person who hurt them or it wasn’t their problem (Biola University Center for Christian Thought, n.d.). These reasons had something to do with the injustice divide, or the greater the hurt, the bigger the injustice divide. This gap in turn, makes it harder to forgive. The LOE views forgiveness as the preferred way to handle the injustice divide; the operative word there is ‘preferred’ as it infers to keep options open for ‘zap the person’ scenarios.
Biola University Center for Christian Thought (n.d.) provides LOE examples of forgiveness in the Bible as: divine justice, relinquishing forgiveness to God, and forbearance where you hide your emotions for the benefit of the group. LOE aligns with psychology in defining what is not such as forbearing or condoning what was done (however, it is admittedly found in Scripture seen above). Forgiveness is not reconciling or restoring trust with another person because this would take two people. Therefore, the only thing LOE thinks we are on the hook for is forgiveness not reconciliation. LOE views the Bible teaches we should forgive but doesn’t give us the blueprint on how close the injustice gap. Alternatively, we can leverage the REACH forgiveness method found in psychology where we Recall the pain, Empathise with the person who wronged us, Altruistically give the gift of forgiveness, Commit to the forgiveness, and Hold on to the forgiveness through doubt.
The integration video addresses the separation of Christianity with psychology by explaining McMinn’s own challenge in studying psychology as a Christian and encountering his peers who ask him to choose one or the other (Westmont College, 2019). A strong integration view can be used in the field of positive psychology, and specifically, virtuous acts of forgiveness was where the Christians started being published in psychology journals.
The Westmont College video (n.d.) told the integration approach to positive psychology is that you can’t be fully human without considering both the mind and the body, and virtue makes us fully human. Without the balance of Christianity in positive psychology, we drift toward self interest. When asked in Scripture which of the commandments are the most important, Jesus unwaveringly answered to love Him and our neighbors. These commandments augment positive psychology because without focusing on Jesus and our neighbors, we can’t wholly get to experience forgiveness, gratitude, grace, humility, or wisdom. We must think outwardly in who to be grateful for, we must learn from God that He himself made him small or humble, and we can only find wisdom if we include spirituality with science. In particular, for my research with artificial intelligence, the area of integration with wisdom is a reason for an integrative approach because it will increase the likelihood of handling ambiguity, uncertainty, and thinking of multiple ways of tackling the problem. Integration wants to continue a dialogue between psychology and Christianity to strengthen the outcomes of positive psychology, and heal the distrust between science and faith.
Resounding differences with these two views is where the focus should be. Integration reminds us that Jesus wants us to love Him and each other more than anything else (Westmont College, 2019). So, taking the other person out of the forgiveness equation in LOE doesn’t align with this. Forbearance as an example of forgiveness, although present in Scripture, is a place where LOE decides to relinquish to the psychology community as not needed (Biola University Center for Christian Thought, n.d.). Without the integration view, the LOE psychologist could seemingly cherry pick whether to listen to Scripture or science depending on the question, and is promoting the sense of self above serving Jesus and our neighbors.
References
Biola University Center for Christian Thought (n.d.).Everett Worthington, Jr. – Why You Should Forgive and How To Do It [Film]. Retrieved June 11, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Or9OuxuYKw&t=4s
Westmont College (2019, January 22).Mark McMinn – The Science of Virtue: Why Positive Psychology Matters to the Church [Film]. Retrieved June 11, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3gFPgcVAEw&t=3846s