Mindfulness and psychotherapy in a Christian context

Abstract

Over the last 20 years, mindfulness and mindfulness-related interventions have become increasingly influential in the field of psychology. Kabat-Zinn (1990) and many others have attempted to secularize mindfulness by separating it from its Buddhist roots. Many, however, remain unsure as to whether this Eastern-influenced practice is helpful or trustworthy, particularly conservative Christians (Symington & Symington, 2012). While some have proposed modifications to mindfulness to make it into a form of Christian prayer (Tan, 2011), the question of whether unaltered secular mindfulness programs are suitable has remained unanswered. I hypothesize that mindfulness practice per se can be suitable for Christians. I will show this through an exploration of the Buddhist roots of mindfulness and an examination of the principal differences between Buddhism and Christianity. These differences will provide guideposts by which we can evaluate mindfulness as it is defined, explained, and practiced in modern psychology. We will see in the literature review that modern mindfulness practices are free of pseudo-Buddhist teachings, and are, in fact, different from Buddhist mindfulness practices in several ways. This will allow us to conclude that modern mindfulness has been successfully secularized, i.e., made into a religiously neutral psychological practice, and is thus suitable for Christian practice. I will then offer a formal conceptualization of mindfulness as a neutral skill, analogous to imagination; respond to common Christian objections; and provide treatment recommendations for Christian clinicians seeking to utilize mindfulness.