Random Thoughts from DeHart

If you were to open any general psychology textbook, you would find that psychology is not a singular category, but rather has many different subcategories. There is social psychology, evolutionary psychology, amongst others, all which can be found in your average general psychology textbook.  Each one of these are a smaller part of a whole, but no less important. The authors tell how the body is made up of organs, which are made of cells, which are made of atoms, and how each one of these bodily subgroups may have different views on what something is. There are a “variety of possible perspectives” pertaining to truth in our world. These perspectives can also be called “levels of analysis.” We can choose which level to view a subject on, but if we only view the subject through one level, our view is incomplete. An example for this was in the form of a painting. Up close, the observer of a painting can notice the paint stroke pattern, the type of paint, the mixture of color, ...

Prelude to this Journal: I had actually question posting this, since it deals with a very personal struggle of mine. I wrote most of it, and just sat on it for a couple weeks. Recently, I returned to this post and finished writing it, and decided that it may help someone through their day, or it might open someone's eyes up to new possibilities within their own struggles. It is my hope that this is the case, and that my honesty and openness be used to help others in their own struggles as they walk through life. I often wonder at the thoughts twirling around in my own head. Will I be a success when I graduate from college? Will I create something that will benefit the lives of others? Will all my friends abandon me because of something stupid I will do? Will I ever truly find love? What if my life is destined to be misery? To put all these things in perspective dear reader, I must confess something. I am a man who has suffered from anxiety and depression for years, and still bat...

Is the Bible a storybook? Granted, it does have many stories in it ranging from sappy love stories to betrayal most foul. Christianity is based within all of this, and we claim all within the Bible to be historical fact. Millions of people follow the teachings found in the Bible, and we seek to spread the good news to as many people as we can. It would seem that our theology is attractive, but the question is, “Does Christian Theology owes its attraction to its power of arousing and satisfying our imagination? Are those who believe it mistaking aesthetic enjoyment for intellectual assent, or assenting because they enjoy it?” (p.11) In other words, is our theology poetry? The Christian Theology is not just a story, as stated above, but has been shown to be historically based. It is not the mythology like that of the Greek or Norse gods, but “represents the life of the universe as being very like the mortal life of men on this planet.” (p.11) We believe that the things mentioned in the...

At the beginning of this chapter, the author explains psychology’s progression through history. Specifically, the progression of psychology as it aspires to become a recognized science. Psychology, in the 1890’s was describes as the science of mental life. In the 1920’s through the 1960’s, it was known as the “science of behavior,” and in today’s textbooks, it is described as the “science of behavior and mental processes.” Even though we describe psychology as a science, there are some modern scientists who disagree. A Harvard psychologist argued that psychology had not yet achieved the status of an integrated science, and might not ever do so. This same psychologist also said that psychology could firm up its position through disciplines that could be used by the scientific community. The author disagrees, saying that psychology has proven itself a science “based on its achievements on both pure and applied research.” Can psychology and Christianity be bedmates? Since we have est...

While I took my Social Psychology class at Cedarville University, one of our assignments were to read and write journal entries on a book called "Psychology: Through the Eyes of Faith." While, at some points, the assignment was tedious, I learned alot about myself and was challenged to think deeper and consider different viewpoints on a number of subjects. I collected these entries, and have decided that I would go back and post my journal entries. My plan, at the moment, is to release one every Wednesday. I do not cover every chapter in the book, but I do cover a considerable amount. Feel free to leave comments with your thought's, feelings, etc. If you wish to read and follow along with me, you can purchase the book from amazon from the following link:  http://a.co/hguEYCk -P. DeHart Preview:  https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00CKOV76U&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_OzDNzb6K729F7

It's quite a nice day here at Cedarville University. There was a bit of overcast and a sprinkling of rain as I walked to the chapel service today, but so far, it has turned out to be a rather good day. This was the first Chapel service I have been able to go to this year, and I did not leave disappointed. I was inspired to start writing about the chapel services that I have, and will attend, as well as my personal thoughts about the subjects addressed. The speaker today was Mark Vroegop, and he was speaking on the subject of defeating sin. To start, we turned to Colossians 3:5-7 which states: "5. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6. Because these the wrath of God is coming.  7. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth." In this, Vroegop states that ...

When you look in the mirror do you think, “I love myself, or, I hate myself?” What is the Christian answer? Are we called to love, or to hate?  In this essay, Lewis seeks to expand on this line of thought and show the two ways one can perceive the self, and which way should a Christian perceive his or her self. We are commanded by God to hate our own life. In contrast to this, we are also commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. This seems like a two commands in which contradict each other. Is there a point in which hate right? “There are two kinds of self-hatred which tend to look rather alike in their earlier stages, but of which one is wrong from the beginning and the other right to the end.” (p.297)  A type of hatred is one of a man who loathes his neighbor as himself. This is a very un-Christian attitude to have. A person who personifies this type of hatred often expresses cynicism and cruelty to others as well as himself. He will be the lowest in others minds as ...

What brings you joy? Is it dessert right after supper or your morning coffee? Is it a television show, or a blockbuster film? Is it your significant other? All these pale in comparison to what truly should give us joy in this life. We start out this essay saying that we are too easily amused. How many times has your parents said that? We humans are so enthralled by the most minute and petty things. Perhaps you heard a musical piece that sent chills down your spine, or found a steak that was seasoned better than all others were. This is nothing compared to the infinite joy that has been offered to us, yet we allow ourselves to become caught up in these things. The rewards from these are frivolous. There are two types of rewards in our life, natural rewards and proper rewards. If man loves a woman and his checking account increases, that is a natural award. If the man and women become married, that is a proper reward. Proper rewards are the activity itself, or the desiring of the ac...

If your reading this, then you've probably accidentally stumbled across this blog, or you are someone I know personally, heard I started this, and wondered what it looked like and how weird it would be. In any case WELCOME! Anyways, this is where I put all my random writings. All my stories that I will start, and may never finish, all my philosophical and theological ramblings, journal entries, and various other things that I deem interesting enough to post on this. If I see an interesting query, I may decide to write a post about it, but who knows.  So let us begin, for madness waits for no man.