Conversions: Psychological, or Spiritual?

Introduction - In 1959, the famous British preacher, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, wrote a critique of Dr. William Sargant’s 1957 book, Battle for the Mind. The critique entitled, CONVERSIONS, Psychological & Spiritual, was reprinted as a pamphlet several times by Inter-Varsity Press of England. Dr. Sargant, a practising psychiatrist, was concerned with ‘a physiology of [religious] conversion and brainwashing’. His discussion regarding ‘the ways in which political, social, or religious conversion can be induced by psychological techniques’ supported his underlying premise that all conversions were psychological in nature—including so-called Christian conversions. Nevertheless, Dr. Sargant raised several provocative issues and Lloyd-Jones’s response produced some equally profound reflections.

The following are excerpts from CONVERSIONS, Psychological & Spiritual.

"...it is possible, by various means and methods and mechanisms, to influence the human mind. That is indisputable. We grant that this can be done by religious movements as well as by political and other movements. (Example--the "brainwashing" carried out by the Communists.)

"All primitive religions employ techniques, such as dancing, drumming, tom-toms, singing of a certain type, and similar things. It is a characteristic feature of all primitive religions that they employ such means in various forms to produce the desired results....

"Has all this anything to say to us Christian people, and especially to evangelical Christians?.... Some of these tendencies have crept into evangelical circles in the past. Let us examine some examples.

"I am second to no one in my admiration of the great Jonathan Edwards and his preaching; yet it does seem to me that Edwards in his preaching concerning hell went at times well beyond what he was warranted to do and to say by Holy Scripture. He allowed his imagination to run riot....

"Again, we have the facts concerning George Whitefield, who probably was one of the greatest preachers the Church has ever known since the apostles. Yet I would have to admit that even Whitefield occasionally exceeded his warrant. I mean that he allowed his own eloquence and his own imagination to run away with him. He reached a point at which he was not so much presenting the message of the gospel as producing an oratorical, not to say a psychological, effect upon his congregation.

"I could illustrate this also in the case of a number of other preachers. The graphic use of a story, or of an illustration, can sometimes become an end in itself, so that the congregation is really not being influenced by the truth of God at that point but by the graphic or dramatic character of the story or the illustration which is being employed.

"For instance, I remember hearing a story concerning a preacher who was endeavoring to convince his congregation of the danger of delaying decision and action. As an illustration, he pictured a number of people staying at the seaside, who had walked one afternoon on to a promontory of rock stretching from the beach. They had walked right out onto this rocky point and the sea lay all around them. They were enjoying the view and looking out to sea. They failed to realize that gradually the tide was coming in on both sides of them and that it was about to cut them off at the point where the promontory joined the mainland. There they were, so enjoying the sunshine and the fishing that they were unaware of their peril. Then, suddenly, someone noticed it and the urgent question arose as to whether their retreat was already cut off. Were they already surrounded? Would the sea soon cover the whole promontory, and were they all to be drowned? The preacher had taken much time in presenting the story, and had done it with such dramatic effect that he brought the congregation to a point when it seemed to be doubtful whether anybody in the party could escape at all. At that point he suddenly shouted: 'If you do not run at once, it will be too late!' It is said that literally the whole congregation rose to its feet and the Chapel was speedily emptied!

"What do we say about an occurrence such as that? I would unhesitatingly condemn that kind of preaching. None can deny, surely, that at that point the influence was almost purely psychological, that the congregation had ceased to be aware of the truth, and that their minds had been so gripped by this graphic picture that they were acting almost automatically. At that point it is the 'flesh' that is operating rather than the 'Spirit.'

"We must therefore start with this admission, that though our doctrine may be right and true, we may very well transgress and expose ourselves to criticism...by adopting--even with good intentions--wrong and false methods....

"Psychological methods and movements always tend to reproduce the same type, whereas it has always been the glory of the Christian faith that it has won its converts from all classes and all kinds of people. Our suspicions should be aroused at once if we find that we are tending to produce a people that are like peas in a pod, or like rows of postage stamps. That savors of the psychological, rather than of the spiritual....

"Another question, I think, which forces us to examine ourselves ...is the so-called 'temporary results' of evangelistic campaigns. We must note the discrepancy between the large numbers that go forward at the appeal and the comparatively small numbers that really join and remain in the Church.... It is not enough simply to say, 'Ah, but look at those who do stick.' That is all right; but what has happened to the others? What at the outset did happen to them?

"Is it not the case that some of our methods and approach to evangelism are not beyond suspicion? I feel that we must be concerned about this for three main reasons. The first is that, if our methods are wrong at these points, we open the door widely to ...criticism.... Much more important is the fact that such wrong methods are unscriptural, that they bring the gospel into disrepute, and that they allow the man who is outside the Church to scoff. He comments, 'This is all psychology; you can see it happening at the time; and look at what happens afterwards!' In such a manner the gospel is discredited.

"The most serious reason, however, which should impel us to examine ourselves, is that such tendencies and use of techniques imply a lack of faith. Over-attention to techniques and methods, I would say, is indicative always of a lack of faith in the work of the Holy Spirit.

"What then are the more detailed lessons for evangelistically-minded Christians?.... The first consideration is that there must be no divorce between the message we give and the methods we use. Surely, all must agree that our methods as well as our message are to be controlled by the New Testament and its teaching. Now the crucial passage on this matter will be found in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, especially the section which reads: 'And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.'....

"In other words, the apostle deliberately avoided what he knew would appeal to the congregation, what they liked and what they were accustomed to. He carefully avoided the method of the Greek rhetoricians and philosophers. He be came a 'fool,' he tells us, and he did it of set purpose. In this statement we have the apostolic pattern and the apostolic authority for saying that our methods must be controlled in a similar manner, and that always it must be 'in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.'...

"In the second place I think we must avoid anything that leads to a suspicion that in evangelistic activities we are 'conditioning' people in a psychological manner.... It is, of course, not the criticism which it is important to avoid, but the use of any method which God cannot approve. This again suggests that we must avoid any deliberate use of 'techniques' as aids to the gospel .... Naturally, if what you desire is to produce psychological results then, of necessity, you will have to employ the proper psychological techniques. But I am arguing that we are not to do so if we really believe in the work of the Holy Spirit. We are to present the truth, trusting to the Holy Spirit to apply it. I would urge, therefore, that on scriptural grounds we must not of set purpose decide to employ techniques. That is to go over onto the side of, and to the use of, psychology.

"Another important principle is that in presenting the Christian gospel we must never, in the first place, make a direct approach either to the emotions or to the will. The emotions and the will should always be influenced through the mind. Truth is intended to come to the mind. The normal course is for the emotions and the will to be affected by the truth after it has first entered and gripped the mind. It seems to me that this is a principle of Holy Scripture. The approach to the emotions and the will should be indirect. Still less should we ever bring any pressure to bear upon either the emotions or the will. We are to 'plead' with men but never to bring pressure. We are to 'beseech,' but we are never to browbeat. This, it seems to me, is a vital distinction which every preacher and missioner must always bear in mind.

"I would affirm that much of the modern approach to evangelism, with its techniques and methods, is unnecessary if we really believe in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and His application of God's message. I suggest that our 'techniques' and our 'mechanics' actually divert the attention of people from the truth of the message to some lower, particular, immediate and practical action which may have the opposite effect from what is intended. The point I am making is that it is surely our business to avoid anything which produces a merely psychological condition rather than a spiritual condition."

Conversions--Psychological and Spiritual, by D. M. Lloyd-Jones, Inter-Varsity Press, 1959.

Conversions: Psychological, or Spiritual?

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