Simply put, the premise of this book is that the church has allowed itself to become overwhelmed with psychology. This is not truly new. Karl Menninger challenged both the clergy and the psychogists to consider a similar concept over twenty five years ago. Richard Cox argues that what many call superstition of materialism -- ascribing all power and glory to science and its accomplishments, the church has capitalized upon and through the process has lost its identity. It has done this, he challenges, by allowing the norms and diagnosis of contemporary psychology to replace the Gospel. Sparing no sacred cows among the clergy or psychologists, Cox builds a strong argument. A critical addition to the literature, The Sacrament of Psychology is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the pop-psychologist or, as he calls them, armchair-theologians. While the author accepts that theology needs psychology and psychology benefits from theology, he is quick to point out that there needs to be a redefining of this partnership in order to make the relationship truly productive. Passions rise as one symbol after another is challenged in this highly enlightening and powerfully written acknowledgement that the power of the Gospels has been, in many instances, thrown to the uncritical winds of psychological embracing. As one critic has said, the amalgam has created neither good theology nor good psychology.