Recently I’ve been telling a lot of people about a new book that I believe is an amazing resource for those struggling with porn and sexual compulsions.

The book is titled Faith and Sex and is written by my friend, marriage family therapist, and long-standing Live Free contributor Steven Luff. Without a doubt, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever read on the topic of porn addiction, faith, and the brain.

The reason I mention this is that in his book Steven makes the following statement:

“Good theology should always align with good psychology.”

Now, this statement at face value certainly is one that may feel a bit uncomfortable for some who profess faith in Jesus.

After all, which is the priority?

Should faith and theology coincide with the principles of psychology? 

Or 

Should psychology give way to good theology?

That’s a good question and worth asking. Because as Christians we should be more concerned with what God says, and not what man says. Right?

Yes and no.

Here’s what I realized as I pondered these questions. The key word in Steven’s statement is “good.”

In other words, there is both junk theology and junk psychology. Neither is impervious to poor application, translation, or practice. But while “good” theology is a matter of opinion, good psychology should (in theory) be defined in more specific and objective terms. After all, one of the fundamental tenants of science is its claimed objectivity.

Recognize that the way we view God and the world affects how we view everything else.

For instance, if we see the Bible as a scientific record and a rule book for our existence, then theoretically we only need the Bible’s direction for our lives and should dismiss the input of any scientific or other sources of information.  

But… if we read the Bible as a narrative that leads to Jesus and presents theological arguments instead of scientific facts or exact historical records, we gain the freedom to consider external sources of truth and knowledge and evaluate them within the framework of biblical wisdom.

Furthermore, if the systematic theological systems we’ve created are founded on a modern western and literal translation of the Scriptures, then that will greatly determine what we say or believe about God, man, and the nature of “sin.”

However, if we acknowledge that the Bible was written for an ancient audience with a distinct cultural backdrop, we can gain a deeper comprehension and appreciation for how its teachings should shape our contemporary way of living. Such comprehension will also surely shape our theological understanding of God and his church.

My point here is not to present a specific theological argument or offer a new way of interacting with the Scriptures. Rather I simply want to point out what should be obvious.

“Good” theology is highly subjective and so if we insist on fitting our psychological understanding into our theological framework results will vary… greatly.

But if we agree on what’s good psychology (i.e. scientific facts, biological realities, peer reviewed findings) and then contrast our theological viewpoints accordingly, we should more often than not arrive at reliable and consistent findings.

This approach does not imply that theology is inferior to psychology.

Nor does it suggest that psychology should gain more of our attention than theology. Rather it just affirms the notion that our theological and psychological perspectives should work in harmony, as God’s creation is orderly and good. 

And so as Christians we should not be afraid of what psychology has to say. And if it bristles up against our theological frameworks we should not be so threatened as to not take the time to ask better questions. 

Sure, there will always be those who will try to twist and manipulate science to explain away God, but such efforts are just that…manipulation. But that doesn’t mean you throw out the good with the bad if the good offers you fresh insight, needed perspective, and better understanding.

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