Professional Ethics And Human Values By Jayakumar 15.pdf

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Aside from the longstanding and growing role of mental health professional in the essential work of member care--caring for missionaries and humanitarian workers and their families--a broader role for the field of psychology in the overall mission of the church was not clear and certainly not seen as a priority. Hunter and Mayers (1987), in the opening editorial of the second in a series of four Journal of Psychology and Theology special issues on missions and member care between 1983 and 1999, had optimistically noted, "There may be few aspects of integration of greater value than that of psychology and missions" (p. 270). However, they also acknowledged, "The relatively new discipline of psychology struggles to find acceptance and opportunity in the overall strategy of missions" (p. 270). Unfortunately, this assessment remains true today. In this article we suggest that this is at least partially due to Christian mental health professionals' lack of a comprehensive biblical understanding of God's holistic mission and its potential role in their respective fields.


How might holistic mission thinking be important for mental health professionals wanting to work in the global context? First, even though the goal is not necessarily that psychological work address all that is involved in holistic mission, we will be more Christian in our work if we conceptualize it within the context of a larger holistic worldview of which our work may only be a part. In contrast to a modernist perspective which dichotomizes the physical/spiritual, social action/evangelism, gospel-as-deed/gospel-as-word (Myers, 1999), a holistic worldview is both comprehensive and integral. The modernist worldview excludes dimensions of reality present in the biblical worldview and undervalues the connection between them. Western trained professionals have had a bias towards focusing on individuals and only on the psychological dimension. But people in traditional cultures see a connected physical-spiritual-relational reality, as do our colleagues who work in such fields as anthropology, sociology, development and missions. The tendency towards an individualistic, one dimensional approach undermines our effectiveness and alienates us from those we want to serve, as well as those with whom we will serve together.


Christian witness, which has been rarely addressed in the integration literature, may be the area of greatest challenge for mental health professionals who affirm holistic mission. How do we respectfully, lovingly, and ethically bear witness to the Gospel? The question may evoke images of Christian therapists misusing their role to influence vulnerable clients or counselors weaving Bible messages into their conversations with disaster victims at their time of greatest suffering and loss. It is much clearer how we should not be witnesses than how we may legitimately and necessarily be witnesses. Obviously, the content of the Christian gospel and the obligation to bear witness to it is unique to Christianity. In contrast, much of what holistic mission seeks to address--justice, compassion, health--are not values held only by Christianity. Most other religions and those who do not espouse any religion would support these goals although with different theological or philosophical foundations. The American Psychological Association, for example, has divisions addressing social issues, disabilities, the environment, health, family, culture, peace, trauma, and many others related to these goals. The broad societal consensus around these goals may make it easier for Christians to embrace them as part of a holistic mission perspective. There is universal assent to the goals of right relationship with self, community, others and the environment (Myers, 1999), but, as Christians, can the issue of relationship with God be ignored?


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