Psychology And The Bible: A New Way To Read The Scriptures

As Princeton scholar Donald Capps says in the Foreword, decades from now, our successors will surely wonder how such a monumental undertaking as these four volumes on psychology and the Bible could have ever come about. These books provide the first comprehensive portrait from a relatively new field that combines psychological analysis with biblical studies. Thirty-four experts from seven countries gather here to show us how the various schools of psychology interpret the scriptures, from sexual laws and beliefs about shame to the personalities of Jesus, Job, and the prophet Ezekiel. A range of psychological perspectives from Freud to Kohut is chronicled, demonstrating a broad spectrum of applications from the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.

The first volume, From Freud to Kohut, explains how 14 different psychological schools--including Freudian psychology, Jungian psychology, developmental and social psychology, and post traumatic stress disorder theory--view the scriptures. The second volume, From Genesis to Apocalyptic Vision applies psychological theory to interpreting the Hebrew Bible. The third volume, From Gospels to Gnostic, provides psychological insights on the New Testament, including the parables of Jesus and the book of Revelation. And the final volume, From Christ to Jesus, focuses on the new field of psychological inquiry into the Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus.

J. HAROLD ELLENS is Editor for the Praeger Series in Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality. He is a Research Scholar at the University of Michigan Department of Near Eastern Studies, a retired Presbyterian theologian, an ordained minister, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and a retired Professor of Philosophy, Theology, and Psychology. He served 15 years as Executive Director of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies, and was Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Psychology and Christianity. He has authored, coauthored, or edited 164 books, including The Destructive Power of Religion, 4 volumes (Praeger, 2004).

WAYNE G. ROLLINS is Adjunct Professor of Scripture at Hartford Seminary and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Assumption College. He received his Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from Yale University and is Founder and Chair of the Society of Biblical Literature Section on Psychology and Biblical Studies.