|
Submitted by
Jerod Paul Michael
A Beginning Personality Theory from a Biblical Perspective
Psy. 302, Theories of Personality, Independent Study
Dr. David Ortega, Instructor
August 29, 2003
Essential Biblical Concepts
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness'(Imago Dei). . .so God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gen. 1:26,27) What is the significance of being Imago
Dei? The most important point this phrase brings up is that man received the eternal breath of God, which is not true of
animals. They were made from the ground, as was man, but man also was made "a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). Man has not descended
from lower life forms, but was created, like all other creation, complete and capable of reproducing his own kind. Although
he shares some characteristics with animals, man was created separately and specially, and given dominion over the animals.
Theology authors Guy Duffield and Nathaniel Van Cleave (1987) offer four implications of man being made in the image of God:
A) It is not a physical image because God is spirit and does not have a physical body. B) It is a personal image, because
God is "One who designs, plans, communicates, wills and feels (is pleased and displeased)." C) It is a moral image, with
accountability to God, his Maker. He has a conscience which functions as a distinct faculty. D) It is a social image, for
God is love, and He is triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. "Man in God's image was created as a social creature who is
to love" (p. 125-6).
Before sin entered the world, mankind (Adam and Eve) existed in perfect communion with God and each other. There was nothing
between them as they conversed with their Creator in the beautiful Garden of Eden. It wasn't very long, though, before man
abused his free will and sinned. They disobeyed God's one negative commandment and listened to the deceiver. Man was thus
separated from perfect union with God and each other, never to regain it until God takes us Home. The sinful nature has been
imputed to every single person since Adam through the natural procreation process. "Therefore as sin came into the world
through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned. . ." (Rom. 5:12, 6:23). "Closely
tied in with man's lostness and incompleteness without Christ is the fact that man is depraved," write Minirth and Meier (1982).
"He is not basically good" (p. 9). Contrary to many of the secular personality theories and popular opinion, man is basically
evil, perverted, sinful, self-seeking, deceptive…not good deep down inside. However, as MacArthur and Mack (1994) clarify,
"It does not mean that the expression of sinful human nature is always lived out to the fullest. It does not mean that unbelievers
are incapable of acts of kindness, benevolence, goodwill, or human altruism. It certainly does not mean that non-Christians
cannot appreciate goodness, beauty, honesty, decency, or excellence. It does mean that none of this has any merit with God"
(p. 102). This truth is vital to understanding personality because every one is enslaved to sin from birth, and sin keeps
the person from being the complete and best that their Creator designed in the beginning. Man can do nothing to purify himself,
"For the wages of sin is death…" but there is hope, for "…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).
Receiving the atonement that Christ made on the cross when to Him was imputed all sin (past, present and future) is the only
thing that man can do. The ransom that Jesus paid restores us to right relationship with God. The personality can be redeemed
and completed by believing that Jesus is the propitiation of our sins. The personality of a saved person should be driven
by the desire to obey and please God, rather than self. The Christian personality is built with Christ at the center, rather
than self. The old self is killed and the new self, which is in Christ, lives in its place. This is in stark contrast to
the personality of the unsaved, which is entirely self-serving, whether overtly or covertly.
Structure
What is personality? Of what does man consist? Those who emphasize the Triunity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
say that man consists of mind, body, and spirit. Duffield and Van Cleave (1987), hold that personality comprises man’s
intellect, emotions, and will, each of which can be seen in God in the creation account (p. 124). I would prefer, with my
holistic bent, to say that the basic building blocks of personality are man's mind, spirit, soul, emotions, will, and various
other forces that we don't understand, yet this still falls short. These features are overlapping and mutually reliant in
nature, therefore my conclusion is similar to that of James Beck (1999): "Personality basically refers to those non-physical
features of a person's existence that give identity to the person" (p. 19). However, Beck continues to say that as Christians
we believe that there is more to the immaterial part of us-the soul and spirit. He says that the soul and spirit are not
related to personality, but are the part of us that relates to God, and personality refers to how we relate to other people.
I disagree and say that we cannot relate to God without our personality being affected. Even more, the way a person relates
to God will govern the way he relates to others. Where is it that a person first believes in God? In the mind. As my mind
is one of "those non-physical features" that comprise my personality, it also is a part that relates to God, because with
it I believe in Him. Also, the Bible speaks of the unsaved person as being spiritually dead (Matt. 8:22, Eph. 2:5), but in
the saved person, the spirit has been given life and is to govern the material realm of life. The flesh fights to be fed,
the will is ever so strong, the mind tries to rationalize its own fulfillment, the emotions are glaring and perplexing, and
the soul thirsts for meaning, but the spirit saved by God keeps these under control.
Motivation
The basic motivation of human nature is sin, plain and simple. It is the slave master of the unrepentant, driving them wherever
it pleases, that being toward death—eternal death. Its goal is to destroy humanity because man is made in the image
of God, whom it hates. Each man is born with this drive and cannot successfully resist it on his own strength. It is only
by the power of the Word of God that temptation can be resisted and behavior controlled. By that power, the Christian can
resist specific temptations to sin and control ungodly behavior.
There is also the motivation to be and do something good. Man has retained the image of God, and thus, even if seldom, seeks
to do what he believes is right. He does not want to feel guilty or bad, and wants to know that he has done something beneficial
to someone other than himself. The Christian, however, does good because the God who saved him is good and commands and teaches
love, kindness, compassion, and giving.
There are, of course, physical needs that must be satisfied for survival, such as hunger, thirst, and safety, and some behavior
will be motivated by these, such as obtaining food or building a shelter. Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs logically states
that if the primary physiological needs are not met, the person will not seek to fulfill the need for safety or love. Priority
is illustrated by stairs, with each step up representing a higher need but one less basic to survival (Feist and Feist, 1998,
pp. 492-3). This hierarchy makes sense for a general application and reflects real life—if I am starving, I'm not going
to be concerned with my reputation at Safeway—I just want food. My behavior would be driven by the hunger need.
Emotionally, people are driven by desires for affection, approval, appreciation, happiness, and avoidance of guilt, pain
or discomfort. Because we do not like to feel guilty, we may entertain a denial that we have reason to be guilty. We may
avoid certain situations because of pain we have experienced in the past, or we may be superficial, avoiding subjects or people
who make us uncomfortable. We act kindly toward family and friends to win their affection, we try hard at work to win the
approval of parents or superiors, we may tell our spouse what we did for them so they will appreciate us, and we focus on
the good things in life or acquire more money so that we can be happy. The Christian does not need to try to earn or avoid
these results, because we have the love of the Father, given abundantly and unconditionally. The Lord is the One who will
judge our fruits and determine their merit, He is the One who receives the glory, He is the source of true joy, which stays
when happiness leaves.
According to Gordon Allport, motives are not only reactive (seeking to reduce a need or tension), but are also proactive
(striving toward change or growth) (Feist and Feist, 1998, p. 409). Behavior is motivated by past experiences, good and bad,
and by our future goal—what we want to be. Experiences give us a knowledge of predictable results of our behavior,
from which we can decide if a behavior is worth its consequences. Realizing that I am optimistic and future-oriented, I do
believe that Christian behavior is more teleological than caused. The Christian refrains from debauchery because he yearns
to be like Jesus. He turns away from the pursuit of fleshly pleasures because he wants to follow the example that Jesus left.
He is no longer controlled by his sinful nature, but is able to look forward to the return and union with Christ.
Growth
At birth a person contains everything necessary for their God-given personality, only at a level appropriate for their physical
stage of development. Personality also develops in general stages which will vary with individuals and circumstances, but
overall we can make a pattern of development. Though Sigmund Freud formed a theory on personality development, I consider
it vain because of his obsession with sexuality. A model worth gleaning from is that of Erik Erikson. He considered himself
post-Freudian, meaning he extended Freudian theory rather than challenging it (Feist and Feist, 1998, p. 230). Though still
emphasizing the sexual subconscious, he formulated more of a balanced theory of growth. He divided psychosocial development
into eight stages: Infancy, Early childhood, Play age, school age, Adolescence, Young adulthood, Adulthood, and Old age.
This is a logical progression and maturation of personality which is reflected in real life. Each stage is characterized
by a mode of psychosexual adaptation (I would place minimal importance on the psychosexual area of development in infants
through school age, and moderate importance after that, when people become aware of and active in their sexuality); a conflict
between a harmonious element and a disruptive element; causing an identity crisis, which is not a catastrophe, but an opportunity
for adaptive or maladaptive adjustment; the resolution of which produces a basic strength particular to the stage (Feist and
Feist, 1998, pp. 235-248). The person contains all of the personality factors that will show up later, but the focus of development
is on one trait at a time as we fill different roles throughout life.
The infant is only concerned with self and how to get others to attend to self, while experiencing the world with their mouth
and other input receptors. They learn to trust or mistrust others, resulting in the basic strength hope or its antithesis,
withdrawal. In the second and third years of life, children learn to adjust to what it means to control their bodies and
begin to show affection. They are torn between the desire for autonomy and experiencing shame and doubt, the resolution of
which results in the basic strength will. In the play age, roughly three to five years, the child is in an exploratory stage,
curious about the world in which he can now run about, and about himself and his organs. Erikson contented that the curiosity
toward the genitals is not so central a theme as it was to Freud (Feist and Feist, 1998, p. 239), but I move beyond this to
say that it is void of the subconscious sexual motives that Freud wrote about. It is simply child-typical curiosity into
their bodies and the way the world works. The toddler's conflict is between initiative and guilt, and if resolved, produces
purpose. The school age stage covers about ages six to twelve or thirteen, and Erikson said that it is characterized by psychosexual
latency (Feist and Feist, 1998, p. 239). Perhaps it was in the sixties, when he wrote his theories, but even children in
this stage are engaging in sexual relationships in contemporary American culture. They are faced with decisions that were
unheard of at this age in the past. They are forced to mature early in this area, and are unprepared for the knowledge, actions
and consequences that they are experiencing, which is sorely frustrating to a child who does not yet know what to do with
what they are told. The school age is characterized by the psychosocial crisis of industry versus inferiority, producing
the basic strength competence.
The next stage, adolescence, has been the subject of countless books, seminars, and parental anguish. It is marked by puberty,
the crisis of identity versus identity confusion, and the basic strength fidelity. This is one of the most crucial stages,
according to Feist and Feist (1998, p. 241), but I think crucial is a mild descriptor for this time in life. Erikson saw
this as a time of experimentation and trial and error, finding out what is pleasing and worth believing without any long term
commitment (Feist and Feist, 1998, p. 242), even in the area of sexuality. Because of the popularity of Erikson’s theory
with both the public and psychologists, I believe that this philosophy reflected what society was beginning to accept, and
gave it an authority by which to justify their actions. 1968, the same year that he published Identity, Youth, and Crisis,
is seen as the breakthrough to the postmodern culture we now live in, with its infatuation with relative values and rejection
of absolutes. Erikson certainly rejected the absolute that intercourse is for no one outside the marriage bounds by suggesting
that it is a way for adolescents to experiment with life and establish their beliefs. This is a time when a person is very
open to character maturation or stagnation. They are very malleable and will hold on to what seems right to them, particularly
if it is in violation of tradition and mores. They need to be prepared for what they will feel, the knowledge they will gain,
and the experiences and opportunities they will have when they approach this stage.
Erikson's young adulthood stage is characterized by true genitality, which is the maturation of beyond the self-centered sexual
experiences of adolescence, and "can only develop…when it is characterized by mutual trust and a more or less permanent
sharing of sexual satisfactions with a loved person" (Feist and Feist, 1998, p. 244). It is marked by the crisis of intimacy
versus isolation, which produces love. What Erikson makes out to be ideal is really far short of what God's design is. It
is not one of "more or less" permanence, but one in which both members can have total security and act as catalysts for each
other's growth. It is marriage, a covenant that cannot be broken while in fellowship with God. Love is not produced by the
resolution of a psychosocial crisis, but grows out of a heart that has been filled with God's love. It is in this stage that
many people enter into what they hope to be a permanent relationship, some with the assurance of Godly spiritual intimacy
(which secures a commitment to spouse), and some with only emotional or physical intimacy (which assures short term).
The adulthood stage is the longest for most people, spanning from about the thirtieth to sixtieth year, in which a person
is concerned with procreation and care for a next generation. The crisis of this stage is of generativity and stagnation,
producing care, the basic strength of adulthood. Raising children places great strain on a person and they can either grow
from it by changing their character, or be too prideful to admit the need to change.
The process of spiritual development greatly influences personality growth, and if the spiritual growth is Biblical, it will
shape personality development because spirituality is affected by personality, and vice versa. If a person's spiritual development
is ungodly, when they come to Christ He, through the work of the Holy Spirit, will transform their heart and life.
Change
When sinful attitudes and lifestyles intersect with perfect and holy Jesus Christ, the sinfulness has to yield. Sadly, the
power of God to change lives from the inside out is minimized or forgotten in many of America's churches. Pastors are trained
in seminary that if a person's problem is really bad, they need to refer them to a professional who has years of formal training
on human personality. They teach that the Word of God is applicable and relevant, containing the answers to the questions
of life. However, when it comes to the application of their teaching, they are unable or unwilling to trust God to do what
He says. Doctor Ed Bulkley (1993), respected Christian counselor and pastor, wrote, "God's provision for our needs—His
grace—and the peace we so desperately seek are available, Peter says [in 2 Peter 1:2-4], through 'the knowledge of God
and of Jesus our Lord.' Furthermore, God's power has already given us 'everything we need for life and godliness' (emphasis
added). That is all-inclusive. No essential need has been left unattended by our gracious God. How did He provide for every
need? 'Through our knowledge of Him.' And how do we obtain knowledge about Christ? Through the written Word" (p. 277).
Wrong behaviors and attitudes can be changed by submission to the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the person who wants
change. Dr. Bulkley utilizes four steps to permanent change (pp. 312-325) found in 2 Timothy 3:16,17: "All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work." The first step is teaching doctrine to the counselee, helping them to see that Biblical truth is not
too complicated for the lay person to understand, and that it is relevant and applicable to their situation. Step two consists
of rebuking. Though difficult, it is the responsibility of the counselor to expose sinful behaviors and attitudes and lovingly
provide an opportunity for repentance. Step three involves correction, or to make upright again. It begins with an acknowledgement
of human sinfulness and reception of Jesus Christ. It requires putting off the old self, as Paul wrote to the Romans, and
being renewed in the mind, and putting on the new self, living according to the Spirit. Step four is instruction in righteousness.
The counselee must learn to control thinking, using the mind in a redeemed manner worthy of the name of Christ. The new self
must be put on in the physical, spiritual, social and mental areas of life, exploring them in counseling by asking these questions
that Bulkley suggests: "What is the counselee doing physically that is displeasing to the Lord? What spiritual principles
is he violating that contribute to his problems? What social and cultural compromises is he making that prevent him from
living a life that is pleasing the Lord? What is the focus of his mind? is he filling his thoughts with worldly values,
goals, and solutions, or is he concentrating on Christ Himself and the glorious promises of His Word?" (p. 321). Only Christ
can change the heart, for only He can see it, while man looks at the outward appearance and the dirty past to find his answers
for psychological problems. we must heed Paul's warning to the Colossians: "See to it that no one takes you captive through
hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ"
(2:8). God's Word is more than sufficient in healing hurts and overcoming obstacles, for He "has given us everything we need
for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 Peter 1:3).
Works Cited
Beck, James. Exploring the Five-Factor Model. InterVarsity Press, 1999.
Bulkley, Ed. Why Christians Can’t Trust Psychology. Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Or., 1993.
Duffield, Guy P., and N.M. Van Cleave. Foundations of Pentecostal Theology. Life Bible College, L.A., 1987.
Feist, Jess, and Gregory J. Feist. Theories of Personality, fourth ed. McGraw-Hill Companies, 1998.
MacArthur, John F., and Wayne A. Mack. Introduction to Biblical Counseling. Word, Inc., 1994.
Minirth, Frank B., and Paul D. Meier. Counseling and the Nature of Man. Baker Book House, 1982.
art by Van Gogh
author: J. P. Michael
to order copies of his work, please contact the Riven.
|
