In Jesus and Psychology, Fraser Watts presents new scholarship in the emerging field of psychology and biblical studies. This collaborative analysis, with essays by leading psychologists and theologians, shows how psychology can be used to illuminate the historical and modern portrayals of Jesus, the wisdom of his sayings, and the reasons people read and understand the Bible differently. Among the issues discussed are the potential contributions of a psychological study of the historical Jesus; modern portrayals of Jesus in the cinema; contemporary methods of psychological therapy; threads of psychological meaning in Jesus' teaching; the importance of the breaking of taboos as shown in the Gospels; and using cognitive and developmental psychology to illustrate how thought processes and personality type affect our readings of sacred texts. Jesus and Psychology concludes with an examination of virtue orientations: the value people give to virtue has significant implications on what is perceived as the central message of the scriptures and on how we view justice, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. By presenting multiple perspectives on psychology and the Bible, Jesus and Psychology advances the study of science and religion and deepens the understanding of the Gospels. Book jacket.