Imitating Elisabeth Elliot

If you've been running around in any young Christian circles lately, you've probably found yourself in a conversation about your Enneagram type, or perhaps your Myers-Briggs . Or maybe you've been listening to Christian radio, where songs written about fear (writing to fear, personifying fear, etc.) have become nearly as common as songs about God's love. What do all of these new trends have in common? They are examples of psychological principles being applied within the Christian worldview. And they are proving very useful to many, helping Christians understand their tendencies, both positive and negative, so that they can address their personality and see how the gospel can redeem it. The more and more I see Christians obsessing over the Enneagram or over their "root fears," however, I notice that key elements of Christian doctrine frequently get swept to the side. I want to focus this blog post on how I have noticed the impact of psychology on th

Western culture today celebrates authenticity. We want everything to be real, and we don't want to be tricked. In the United States in particular, we are becoming increasingly aware and disdainful of marketing tactics, and we have stopped trusting the news. Just this morning I heard my family's landline phone ringing, and my first thought was, "Why bother answering it? It's probably going to be a scam." And it was. This celebration of authenticity combines well with our culture's love of naturalism , the belief that nothing exists beyond the natural world. These two beliefs have serious consequences, because they lead directly into a mindset of doubt. Is that person being authentic? Who are they really? And can I truly believe in something I have not seen or experienced? How can I hope for anything beyond this world, a world that seems to be increasingly in peril? In general, it is not surprising that the United States has one of the highest rates of

Have you ever wondered what it looks like to live for Christ? Some people believe that Christianity is about saying the "sinner's prayer" once in your life. For example, when President Donald Trump was supposedly converted by prosperity gospel preacher and televangelist Paula White , many evangelical Christians accepted that story as proof of Trump's faith. Others seek to live out their faith by avoiding various things, so as to prevent becoming polluted by them. Try Googling the phrase "Why Christians should..." and the first option that comes up is "Why Christians Shouldn't Do Yoga." Type in "Why Christians Shouldn't..." and you get things like "Why Christians Shouldn't Smoke," "Why Christians Shouldn't Cuss," and "Why Christians Shouldn't Drink." Intermixed with these are some encouraging articles like, "Why Christians Shouldn't Fear Judgment," but overall the messa