The Person in Psychology and Christianity: A Faith-Based Critique of Five Theories of Social Development

Integral to a Christian worldview and to psychology are foundational questions about personhood: What characteristics are essential? What is our purpose? Do we naturally incline toward good or bad? Are we accountable for self and responsible for others? In The Person in Psychology and Christianity, developmental psychologist Marjorie Gunnoe demonstrates how the integration of theological and psychological perspectives offers a more comprehensive understanding of personhood than either approach alone. Gunnoe opens with a brief summary of biblical and theological perspectives on four organizing themes (human essence, purpose, moral tendency, and accountability). She then examines the intersection of this faith-based depiction with five theories of social development proposed by

• Erik Erikson
• John Bowlby
• B. F. Skinner
• Albert Bandura
• Evolutionary Psychology

For each, Gunnoe includes a biography, a summary of the theorist’s broad perspective on personhood, and an analysis of the theorist’s stance on the four specific themes. This book is written for a general audience and suitable for undergraduate and graduate instruction.

Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.

Marjorie Lindner Gunnoe (PhD, University of Virginia) is professor of psychology at Calvin University. She teaches developmental psychology and conducts research on parent-child relationships. Previously she worked at Child Trends, Inc., in Washington DC, and served as a member of the design team for the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth conducted by the US Department of Labor.