The Biology of Sin: Grace, Hope, and Healing for Those Who Feel Trapped

Matthew S. Stanford

jan 2012 · InterVarsity Press

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There are heated discussions happening on the conflict between science and faith. This disagreement tends to focus around three main issues, one of them being what causes our sinful behavior. The intense conflict has to do with biblically defined sinful behaviors and if there just might be a biological predisposition for these behaviors. The Biology of Sin speaks to this debate and hopefully brings some resolution to the conflict. As both a Christian and a neuroscientist, Dr. Stanford has seen scientific knowledge distorted to justify sinful behavior and perhaps more disturbingly, he has seen Christians misuse Scripture to demonize and alienate the very ones they should be reaching out to. He suggests that the underlying cause of this problem in the church is a lack of knowledge, both of basic brain function and scriptural teaching. The Biology of Sin discusses sinful behaviors, including adultery, rage, addiction, and homosexuality, asking of each: What does science say, and what does the Bible say about this behavior? He then attempts to reconcile the fact that biological predispositions do play a role in behavior which the Bible defines as sinful while always emphasizing the authority of God's Holy Word and the abundant grace he has for those struggling with habitual sin.

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Matthew S. Stanford (PhD, Baylor University) is CEO of the Hope and Healing Center Institute in Houston, Texas, and he teaches in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine and the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston. He is the author of Grace for the Afflicted: A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness and The Biology of Sin: Hope and Healing for Those Who Feel Trapped. Stanford is the cofounder and served as the executive director of the Grace Alliance, a faith-based, non-profit mental health organization that provides services and support to individuals living with serious mental illness and their families. An international speaker, his research on the interplay between psychology and faith has been featured in publications including The New York Times, USA Today, and Christianity Today, as well as websites such as Fox, MSNBC, Yahoo, and US News World Report. Stanford is a member of the American Psychological Association and a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, where he is the author of over one hundred peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters in psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. He also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Family and Community Ministries and Behavioral Sciences and the Law, and is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention's Mental Health Advisory Group, and the American Bible Society's Trauma Healing Institute Advisory Council. He and his wife, Julie, have four children and reside in Houston, Texas.