헤르만 바빙크(H. Bavinck)의 교육을 위한 성경심리학적 인간론

Abstract

Herman Bavinck wrote “Biblical Psychology”, a part of his book, describing the psychological nature and structure of human being, in order to give fundamental and practical guide to Christian teachers. According to his Biblical psychology, man is a living soul, a personality, as well as everybody has the same nature. The body composed of materials, is a good work created by God. A soul is the subject of emotion, affection and self-consciousness. A spirit is the driving force of life coming from God, and the source of emotion, understanding, will, and noble life. A soul and a spirit are not differentiated in essence each other. A heart as a central organ of the soul, represents itself as a personality in connection with intellect, emotion, desire, and will. Biblical psychology, according to Bavinck, gives differentiation and excellence to Christian education, in comparison to modern humanistic education, as it gives many important insights in education to the origin and the purpose of human being, his peculiar status and dignity, the same nature of humanity, individuality and solidarity. Bavinck’s book was a practical example of Christian academic approach to psychology on the basis of the Bible, Reformed theology and Christian world view. His Biblical psychology, however, was in fact, a philosophical psychology focusing on the essence and the structure of human being, not a modern scientific psychology describing in the psychological function and development of personality, the motivation of behavior, and psychological disorders. Bavinck did not explain the cognitive development of children and the learning process, which are main subtitles in educational psychology. Such limitations were derived from academic developmental condition of his days, and from limited materials in the Bible. Therefore, his main contribution can be found both in his Biblical analysis and description of man and his soul, and in a significant attempt to form a Christian psychology textbook for teachers on the basis of the Bible, Reformed theology, and Christian world view.