Redemption, Psychology, and the Power of Context

Our understanding of wellness—whether emotional, mental, or spiritual—is never formed in isolation. It is deeply shaped by the context we live in. For Black communities and Black Christians in particular, wellness must be viewed not only through individual experiences but also through the lens of cultural history, spiritual traditions, and the call for redemption.

Psychology, as a discipline, studies human thought, behaviour, and emotion. Traditionally, it is divided into clinical, cognitive, behavioural, and biopsychology. However, these branches have often been shaped by Western worldviews, emerging from German structuralism, French functionalism, and Austrian behaviourism. These schools of thought evolved alongside Trans-Atlantic enslavement, colonialism, patriarchy, and industrialisation, emphasising European dominance, individualism and rationalism while often excluding the cultural and communal values vital to African and African-descended peoples.

In contrast, African spiritual traditions, like those found in ancient Egypt (Kemet), recognized wellness as holistic. The priest-physician Imhotep (circa 2667 BCE) treated illness by addressing the spiritual, emotional, and physical realms. This echoes the redemptive words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28–30, spoken during a time of Roman oppression, social and economic hardship: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Such scripture invites us to a deeper, more liberating view of healing—one rooted not only in spiritual truth but also in social reality. It is this blend of divine redemption and contextual understanding that must guide our approach to psychological wellness.

Today, calls to develop African-centred psychology are rising. Decolonising psychology means challenging Eurocentric theories and lifting cultural knowledge that reflects the lived experiences of people of African descent. It is a movement toward freedom—freedom from mental constructs that do not serve us.

This is especially relevant during a second Trump presidency, where we would have to deepen the need for contextual, spiritual, and collective responses to wellbeing in Black communities. Resilience wouldn’t just be survival—it would be sacred, strategic, and grounded in faith.

In the words of Marcus Garvey, “None but ourselves can free the mind.” True wellness is more than self-help—it is soul restoration, justice, and liberation. And in Christ, it is also redemption: a holistic return to wholeness in a broken world.