ABSTRACT
Prior to the late nineteenth century, when psychologists began to detach themselves from the field of philosophy and align themselves with the natural and social sciences, Americans characteristically regarded the investigation of the nature and operation of the human mind and behavior as a “science of the soul” (Fay 1939, 6). No group more avidly participated in developing that science than clergymen and religious thinkers. Although Roman Catholics were preoccupied with setting down roots in American soil and dealing with “bricks-and-mortar” issues, American Protestants, vitally interested in expressing their faith within theological categories, made concerted efforts to address psychological issues in analyzing the nature of the divine-human encounter. As a result, theology and psychology existed in a complex and often intellectually rich symbiosis.
