A Psychologist looks at Scripture
In this 8-10 minute podcast, I as a psychologist and a priest use my training and skills to examine the Gospels. I will present alternative interpretations and insights into the meaning of Scripture for men and women in the 21st century.
I can be reached at peter.dohertyomi@gmail.com.
A Psychologist looks at Scripture
John 2.13-22 Nov 9-25 Jesus speaking his truth to power
Todays Gospel is quite different from most others. In this Gospel we have Jesus aggressively driving the money changes and sellers out of the temple. At first glance it is quite different from Jesus’ usual way. There are no immediate teachings, healings or witty dialogue. It is clear that Jesus is passionate about his faith, and he is not willing to compromise. Professor David Landry of the University of St. Thomas and many other biblical scholars suggest that "the importance of the episode is signalled by the fact that within a week of this incident, Jesus is dead”. This event likely functioned as the 'trigger' for Jesus' death. The Scribes and Pharisees tolerated Jesus. They did not like the fact that Jesus was popular with the people, his insightful teachings and the fact that Jesus won every debate with them. It was not until Jesus attacked their financial interests did, they escalate their intentions to stop him. Before I go any further, should you wish to follow up on this theory, I invite you to check out David Landry’s article "God in the Details: The Cleansing of the Temple in Four Jesus Films". published in 2009 in the Journal of Religion & Film.
Hello, and thank you for joining me on “A Psychologist Looks at Scripture.” I am Peter Doherty—a Catholic priest and psychologist—and I am pleased you can join me.
In this podcast, I draw from my background in psychology and scripture studies to provide fresh insights into the Gospels. The Gospels consistently invite us to deepen our faith, find new wisdom, and grow spiritually. There is always something more to discover together.
Each episode runs about 7 to 10 minutes. I know my listeners are busy, so I keep my podcasts short. If you have time and are interested, please check out the earlier episodes listed on the podcast website and on YouTube. I would like to thank all my listeners. Thank you so much for being part of this journey! Your support energizes me to keep podcasting. Please let me know if you have questions and comments, they truly matter—they help this podcast grow and flourish.
The Gospel today from John 2: 13-22. This Gospel will be read in Churches November 9, 2025.
Todays Gospel is quite different from most others. In this Gospel we have Jesus aggressively driving the money changes and sellers out of the temple. At first glance it is quite different from Jesus’ usual way. There are no immediate teachings, healings or witty dialogue. It is clear that Jesus is passionate about his faith, and he is not willing to compromise. Professor David Landry of the University of St. Thomas and many other biblical scholars suggest that "the importance of the episode is signalled by the fact that within a week of this incident, Jesus is dead”. This event likely functioned as the 'trigger' for Jesus' death. The Scribes and Pharisees tolerated Jesus. They did not like the fact that Jesus was popular with the people, his insightful teachings and the fact that Jesus won every debate with them. It was not until Jesus attacked their financial interests did, they escalate their intentions to stop him. Before I go any further, should you wish to follow up on this theory, I invite you to check out David Landry’s article "God in the Details: The Cleansing of the Temple in Four Jesus Films". published in 2009 in the Journal of Religion & Film.
Another interpretation of this Gospel is from John Dominic Crossan, a New Testament scholar who argues that Jesus was not attempting to cleanse the Temple of any corruption. Instead, it was a radical protest against the institution of animal sacrifice, which gave people a false sense of transactional forgiveness compared to repentance. You can follow up his research in his books The Historical Jesus: “The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant”. Published by HarperCollins in 1999 and another book published in 2010: “A Revolutionary Biography”. Also published by HarperCollins. The point here is that Jesus spoke up for what he believes.
Psychological research on people speaking up for what they believe covers several key areas, these include assertiveness, psychological safety, social influence, and their voice behavior.
Assertiveness research shows that speaking up for oneself is linked to enhanced self-esteem, mental health, and the ability to set healthy personal boundaries. Speaking up reinforces the belief that one's thoughts and needs are valid, contributing to greater confidence and positive self-image. It also improves interpersonal relationships and emotional well-being. Developing assertiveness skills is challenging but vital for personal empowerment and mental health.
In workplace and group settings, psychological safety—the shared belief that one can speak up without fear of negative consequences—is crucial for encouraging people to voice their opinions. Factors influencing whether people speak up include internal beliefs about authority, personality traits, leadership behavior, and organizational culture. Negative experiences with authority or fear of social repercussions can inhibit speaking up, while supportive leadership fosters voice behavior.
Research also shows that people holding minority viewpoints often self-silence, conforming outwardly to the majority due to fear of rejection or desire to maintain social harmony. This can lead to silence even when individuals disagree internally, highlighting the role of social dynamics and power structures in whether people express their beliefs.
Common barriers to speaking up include fear of rejection or damaging relationships, feelings of futility, and reinforcing cognitive biases that inhibit voice sharing. Conversely, leadership styles that promote openness, empathy, and psychological safety help overcome these barriers, enabling individuals to speak up authentically and confidently.
Overall, psychological research combines individual skills like assertiveness with social and organizational contexts to explain why and when people speak up for what they believe.
Several psychological aspects prevent people from speaking up against injustice. A primary barrier is fear—fear of retaliation, being judged, social ostracism, or damaging relationships. People worry about negative repercussions such as losing status, facing ridicule, or even physical harm. People with families and other responsibilities may hold back to protect their families. This fear can lead to self-censorship and silence despite internal disagreement with injustice.
The desire to fit in and conform to social or group norms also suppresses speaking up. Individuals may stay silent to avoid conflict and maintain social harmony, even if this means condoning injustice implicitly. Pressure to conform is strong enough to override personal beliefs in many cases.
Some people experience apathy or detached indifference toward injustice, perceiving it as irrelevant to them personally. I am reminded of the famous quote attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller, a German anti-Nazi theologian, who used it after World War II to express regret at the failure of many to protest against the Nazis' persecution of various groups. Let me share with you this quote:
"When they came for the socialists, I was silent—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I was silent—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I was silent—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
Incidentally he was arrested several times and was interned in Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps for so called "protective custody" from 1938 to 1945. He paid a price for what he believed in.
Inaccurate or insufficient information about the injustice can lead to underestimating its severity or even denial of its existence. I suspect this may be in part why people resist hearing about injustices because they do not want to speak up. This lack of understanding diminishes the drive to speak up or intervene effectively.
For marginalized groups, internalized oppression can lead to self-censorship, diminished self-esteem, and belief that their voice carries less value and would not be effective. They feel powerless to change the situation. Apathy results in silence by reducing motivation to act against injustice. Repeated silence can reinforce these feelings, creating a cycle where individuals believe speaking up is futile or unwelcome.
Holding back expression causes stress, anxiety, and mental health burdens, which ironically can make speaking up even harder. The brain’s fear response and ongoing hypervigilance can reinforce silence over time.
When we think about this Gospel it is very likely that this was not the first time that Jesus saw the money exchangers and sellers in the Temple. We know that he had been in the temple numerous times in his life. Did he hold back because he knew if he did, he would likely face death in a very short period of time, thus cutting into the time he would have for his mission? Did he hold back to take the time to study the situation so that he would fully understand the dynamics before he took action? Maybe the situation got worse and worse till the sellers and money exchangers crossed the line that Jesus could no longer tolerate . You may have your own questions and insights as we try to understand and fully appreciate the issues. So, I have personal questions for you to reflect upon. Faced with a similar situation; Would you speak up? If not, why not?
I suspect some of my listeners are wondering what has this got to do with developing spirituality. Fair question. I propose that going through the process of recognizing injustices and addressing the problem is useful for our spiritual development. I recognize that one may not be in a position to challenge an injustice but for your spiritual development I encourage you to do the following. Watch and learn and try to understand what is going on. Resist the temptation to immediately react unless there is an emergency. Try to understand the people involved. Harm can be done if rash actions are taken. You may not be in a position to take a stand, but can you support the people who can?
Thank you for joining me today.
Next Sunday, I’ll be sharing a new podcast episode on Luke 21: 5-19, where we will hear Jesus’ teaching about betrayal, not just any betrayal but betrayal from people we love or least expect.
If you’re new here, I invite you to check out previous episodes on major podcast platforms or YouTube. And for my regular YouTube listeners, please consider subscribing and sharing the podcast with friends who love Scripture.
New episodes come out every Sunday, focusing on the week’s Gospel. Your feedback is always valued and helps our community grow.
A big thank you to Heather Patel Doherty and Richard Coulombe for their wonderful help in preparing each episode.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at peter.dohertyomi@gmail.com.
May God richly bless you!