The Society for Christian Psychology’s 3rd annual conference is now underway at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. The theme of the conference is about Christian Psychology in a secular world. What does it mean to be radically christian and faithful in our calling and work? Last night theologian Ellen Charry opened us up with a discussion about Augustine of Hippo’s psychological theory. She argued that instead of seeing Augustine as saying that human nature organized around sex or sin but love. Sin, she says, comes from disordered love. For her, this means love and not thinking is the foundation of all human activity. Too much or too little sense-based love leads to distortions of love. Why does this matter? For Charry says that our focus should be on using and enjoying things fully only as they contribute to the end of loving God.

This morning Larry Crabb started us off thinking about the guardrails of a Christian psychology. He addressed the desire to see us agree on a core dogma without becoming dogmatic. We have to be comfortable with dialectics (the tension between two opposing ideas). But not merely for for intellectual pursuits but for the transforming of all people. He wants us all to be “serious Christians” that pursue God in all things and to release us from the possible to the actual.

Christian psychology ought to drive us into the lives us others. So, he suggested these 4 truthes as the core dogma:
1. Final reality is relational not propositional. Truth is not the center of reality unless you define truth as a person. Christian psychology must be rooted in trinitarian theology. The central nature of God is not a substance but a passion.
2. We are wired with the capacity to enjoy God more than any other source of joy. Everything else should pale.
3. Our capacity for enjoying God has been lost in the fall. However, the space designed for enjoying God has remained. It is now perverted into a demanding emptiness searching for fullness anywhere but from God. Our deep longing for love from God has become a demand for pleasure, power, meaning.
4. Our capacity to want God has now been restored in God’s children. But, our natural enmity against him remains and therefore the battle ensues. There is a fundamental battle in our souls going on right now–beneath whatever organic problems and abuse. We have the hope of fulfillment in God but not the actuality.

Now off to a break-out session. Sam Williams (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is doing a session on the pedagogical priorities of Christian counseling. Eric Johnson (Southern Seminary) is talking about translating secular texts into a Christian Psychology. Richard Winter (Covenant) is speaking on the issue of depression and PJ Watson and his colleague Ronald Morris (U Tenn-Chattanooga) are talking about dimensions of self-control and intrinsic religiousity.

There will be another set of breakouts and then a luncheon where Diane Langberg will talk to us about the unique role (servant) and work of the Christian therapist.

More later.