[1] It is an aspect of psychology adhering to the religion of Christianity and its teachings of Jesus Christ to explain the human mind and behavior.
Religious and science scholars have often clashed over the idea of the two subjects being combined, making Christian psychology no stranger to controversy.
For example important figures such as Descartes, Locke, and Leibniz have delayed or altered their ideas to match culturally acceptable beliefs at the time.
[vague] The Enlightenment is a time period in which several groundbreaking ideas, including those of science and religion were introduced in Western society.
Juan Luis Vives (6 March 1493 – 6 May 1540), a Christian scholar who was greatly admired by the theologian Erasmus, has been referred to as "The father of modern psychology" (Watson, 1915).
René Descartes, a famous French philosopher, contributed to the field of psychology while also keeping the Catholic church's beliefs in mind.
John Locke was an English philosopher who took the stance of "reason" being "the last judge and Guide in ever Thing" even in religious matters.
Locke claims the mind has innate capabilities that are responsible for translating knowledge into complex thoughts and correlations between ideas.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, was a Lutheran philosopher, who unlike Locke, believed that there are some religious ideas that stand on their own as being irrefutable and incontrovertible.
As a major contribution to psychology, Leibniz made a distinction between conscious and unconscious states that Freud and other successors would further expand upon centuries later.
"[16]: 176 Julia Watkin (1998) stated that "It is highly likely that, but for the fact of his writing in a minority language, he would have been hailed, long before the advent of Freud, as a founder of an important depth psychology.
[18] Charles Carr (1973) said the "penetrating quality of Kierkegaard's insights into guilt, dread, sin, and despair also render him worthy of recognition as the father of modern therapeutic psychology.