PSYCHOLOGY AND THE CHURCH.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20169, 23 February 1931, Page 18

PSYCHOLOGY AND THE CHURCH.

OPEN MIND WANTED. 1 ADDRESS BY PROFESSOR —SHELLEY. w P»ychology and the Church, with special reference to the psychology of dreams, the problems of sex, and the determination of vocation, formed the subject of an address by Professor J. Shelley at St. Michael's Church yesterday afternoon. The lecture was the first of a series arranged by the Rev. C. Perry to be given in the church each Sunday. Of the opposition of some people to psychology because in its more v recent developments it dealt with su peeis that had hitherto been taboo, he said* "the best thing to do with a stinking drain is not to stop it up. You must let the fresh air into it, throw the light of enquiry on to it, and get it clean. That would have been the attiV tude of Christ, and though it is easy to stone things, He condemned the method ° "Some in the Church to-day seem to have the same attitude toward psychology that the Church as a whole had toward science 100 years ago, he continued. "A prominent man m Church circles in Christchurch said recently, 1 don't believe in this psychology.' It is sily to say that you either believe or disbelieve m the body of knowledge tbat is called psychology: ,it is a matter for enquiry and not for belief, of enquiry to see whether what We think is knowledge is true knowledge. To some minds psychology is aVin to a body of magic in which one may either believe or not.. To me psychology is an enquiry into a certain tiet ■of phenomena, just as we may set people to enquire into what- is the best fuel ijfor our cars, or to see how befit human „ beings may do certain things. Value to Christianity. . "A person who thinks that he is doing his duty as a Christian by. merely Having a negative attitndo toward psychology is mistaken. If by it we can * leant to help our fellowß, or to under- * stand our religion in its relation to the present day, then it is our' duty as Christiana to enquire into it. If anyone claims for ■ psychology something tbat he ought not to,' then our attitude should again be one of enquiry. "It is- our duty to understand the psychological, conditions of our time.- ■ Christ knew all" about it. \ He did not take the people of His day away from the things and the plaees that they understood, or try to put the truth to them in a way thfet they did not understand. They were nsed to the method of tale- 1 of the parable as we call it, and Christ used that method in the open air,' to a people who' were usedto that sort of life. I wish to say that it is the Church's and the cleric's duty to ask, 'Why do people go to the picture i>alaee&f* It is -simply a case *of .understanding the mode of appeal. - If we Uriah to get our messages over we have to accept the of mind toWhich ire are maJqng our apppal. What ' the pictures.-are- to ns the, tales and the* , tuwdea wete to .people of Christ's ■ f .' iipi&V' J -wpn^d>fuggest' that the* - chnrche«: should be turned (into picture th|| ' tf." VwSlmw' -things.iii ' our A Scientific Enquiry. "The psychologist'docs not attempt to replace the soul by a ' kind of mechanistic analysis of mind/' went on • the Professor. • "He wants to know the conditions < which the mind 1 works, to see things happen, and he ( wsnts to know why they happen, so that, if he wynts to, he can make them happen again. -In recent. years certain -subjects;have come .to the fore .in, re- , gard to psychology that have gained it a ratlwr flavour in 'the 'mines' fi£ "heen caused \ ; Jsip I as < eirt the In- 11 Wt- : ord the to tV 1 rid,

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