The Problem of the Human Will: Finding Common Ground between Christian Spirituality and Psychoanalysis (original) (raw)
Related papers
Christian Perspectives on Science and Technology, New Series, 2023
At a time when mental health is generally deteriorating, editors Eudoxia Delli and Vasileios Thermos have opportunely produced a volume that closely examines the intersection of Orthodox Christian theology and contemporary psychoanalysis. This volume provides access for English-speaking readers to a vibrant conversation on this topic, as it currently occurs in the Greek context. This review essay considers the insights this volume provides, and the application of these insights to the life of the church. The volume is a valuable contribution that argues persuasively from a variety of perspectives that the church and psychoanalysis can and ought to enjoy a fruitful and beneficial partnership. The art of looking within is as important today as ever, but more so in our age of widespread mental health issues.
Towards a Theological Understanding of Psychopathology and Therapy
2011
The desirable encounter and dialogue between Orthodox Theology and the psychological sciences require a crossing and mutual understanding of their vocabularies which have been isolated for centuries. This article attempts to correlate the traditional theological terminology of “soul” and “spirit” with what modern psychotherapies call “psyche”, “mental”, “disorder”, and “therapy”. For this purpose it reviews biblical and patristic sources about the high human energies (intellect, emotion, will etc.) which prove to be products of our common nature, namely of the inseparable complex “soulbody”. Besides, it proceeds to make distinctions between soul and spirit, and to express them in terms of contemporary psychophysiology. Furthermore it indicates that mental disorders make a distortion of human energies which, because of various etiological factors, become autonomous from
Christianity and Psychoanalysis: Orienting View and Augmenting Modality
Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 2020
Much has been written about the influence of religious narratives on the lives and work of psychoanalytic theorists and clinicians. This article seeks to specifically extend an understanding of the Christian narrative into the clinical setting and examine the applicability and usefulness of its tenets and practices in treatment. The author will examine the unique way that Christian psychoanalysts might view their craft and their patients, and how the Christian faith might offer specific approaches based on a belief in the presence and influence of God in their work. Preamble In the early days of psychoanalysis, it would have been improbable that a paper achieve publication if it suggested that a religious perspective provided an orienting or augmenting function to psychoanalysis. Though religion peeked through the veil of Freud's atheistic preferences through the early works of such writers as Pfister (1993) and Putnam (1915), it was not until the generation after Freud that it made a stronger appearance in both the interests and writings of Erickson (1958), Karen Horney (Eckardt, 1984), and Fromm (1966). But it was through the theories of object relations that religion burst into psychoanalytic discourse through the contributions of Suttie (1935), Fairbairn (1952), Guntrip (1957), and most especially, D. W. Winnicott (Parker, 2012). Though still approached with skepticism today, the taboo against religion has been challenged and incrementally diminished for many decades. The purpose of this article is to extend an understanding of religion into the clinical setting and examine the applicability and usefulness of its tenets and practices in treatment. Most specifically, this article will present the unique way that Christian psychoanalysts might view their craft and their patients, and how the Christian faith might offer specific approaches based on a belief in the presence and influence of God in their work. I wish to explain what this article is not attempting to do. In that the debate between science and religion has been well fought for years, I will not attempt to mount an apologetic for religion. I rest that case on the shoulders of the many-Fairbairn (1952), Winnicott (Parker, 2012), Rizzuto (1981), Meissner (1986), and Aron (2004), etc.-who have so clearly articulated the viability of a religious worldview. Neither is the purpose of this article to validate Christianity's assumptions or its clinical value, or further, to proselytize the reader. All of these issues are quite beside the point of this article. In the following pages, I hope to explain the particular perspective that a Christian who is a psychoanalyst might use to view and practice their work. In doing so, I wish to advance dialogue about and understanding of religious aspects of treatment.
Truth is a Two-Edged Sword: A Brief History of Psychoanalysis and Christianity
This paper was presented in Athens, Greece at the “Science and Orthodoxy Around the World” Conference Workshop, “Psychoanalysis and Orthodox Theology,” December 1, 2018. This discussion will address some key features of Christianity's relationship with psychoanalysis beginning with its arrival in the early 20th Century. The initial reception was complex, due in part to Sigmund Freud’s packaging together his metapsychology with atheism. I will trace Freud’s early religious roots and developmental experiences including trauma that may have contributed to his atheism. Further, I will briefly outline varieties of responses to psychoanalysis from the Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox faiths, as well as some important barriers to dialogue between psychoanalysis and religion. By contrast, a rather seismic shift in psychoanalytic theory to an emphasis from drive satisfaction to relational aim as birthed a focus that opens potentially new paths for the dialogue between psychoanalysis and Orthodox Theology. Some implications of this relational emphasis will be briefly described. This ongoing dialogue seems to be both assisted and thwarted by overly unconscious subjective factors, as it was for Freud. I shall argue that maintaining a dialogue between psychoanalysis and Orthodoxy holds significant potential for authentic participation in one’s faith, while at the same time, psychoanalysis can be enriched by acknowledging the ontological foundations of the human psyche.
Augustine of Hippo: Father of Christian Psychology
It is a great honor and with deep joy that I address you at this inaugural conference on Christian psychology. From my perspective as a theologian, this is a long overdue event and I am quite excited at the prospects and possibilities it holds for us at this important transitional moment in Christian theological history. What I hope to convince you of by this talk today is that talking about Christian psychology is not by any stretch of the imagination a new undertaking; it is, rather, an act of coming home, of reclaiming ourselves fully as Christians in a deeper sense than has been encouraged for quite some time. Even though this conference and the society that it hopes to foster respond to modern pressures, Christian psychology is a thoroughly theological topic and has been for more than 1,500 years.
PSYCHOANALYSIS AND RELIGION: RECONCILING THE PSYCHOANALYTIC METHOD WITH CHRISTIANITY
When I first conceptualized the present project, I had as my motivation a sense of "taking the cross" in the spirit popularized by Pope St. Urban II's oration on the "Peace and Truce of God" that christened the First Crusade at Clermont in A.D. 1095. I had this motivation because I believed that there was an exigent need to defeat Freud-the harbinger of iniquity and threat to all that is holy, just and right. He was the Arius to my St. Athanasius, the Pelagius to my St. Augustine, the Coroticus to my St. Patrick or the Saladin to my Guy of Lusignan. But in hindsight, I suppose that it would be more apropos to say that Freud was the Curly to my Moe or the Meathead to my Archie Bunker. All hyperbole aside, Freud personified for me the worst consequences of Renaissance Humanism and Enlightenment Rationalism whereby man further remade himself into God. While it is perhaps possible that biases had skewed my conceptualization of Freud and Psychoanalysis, I was relying upon personal experiences to inform my thinking. The lenses that precipitated my evident myopia led to a clear case of confirmation bias. Admittedly, this is perhaps one of the gravest sins that a scholar can commit. While my opinion of Freud may remain unfavorable, what planted the seed of self-doubt in my conceptualization of Psychoanalysis was my dear wife's earnest conviction that her field of Psychology was improving the lives of her clients. Being a brilliant twenty-first century woman and therapist, her unwavering support for her field shook the foundation upon which my bias was predicated. What pushed me over the edge, as it were, was the information obtained during my field-research in preparation for this project, a vignette of which is forthcoming.
Exploring biblical reformational theology as a normative perspective for Christian psychology
In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi, 2014
The process and importance of dialogue between Christian religion and psychology are continuously an active area of debate amongst Christian counsellors and psychologists as witnessed by the diversity of opinions in the focus area. The aim of this article is to contribute to the enrichment of the theological interpretation of practices within the confines of a Christian psychological worldview. A Christian approach to anthropology is shaped by the Bible as basis for Christianity's intellectual and religious conducts. The article cultivates and encourages a holistic sense of cross-disciplinary reflection that enables psychologists to respond to therapeutic situations with faithful, theologically informed practice. It is recommended that psychologists with a Christian worldview should look at the Bible and the Christian intellectual and religious tradition as a normative perspective for their practicerelated research across the field of Christian psychology. To justify the hermeneutic approach, a decision should be made about the interpretation of the interdisciplinary theory-praxis relationship with regards to a particular normative perspective for Christian psychology. It is the intent of this article to reflect an transversal model of cross-disciplinary dialogue between Christian religion and psychology, based on mutuality and respect where psychology could be enriched by a normative perspective that explores the theory-praxis interface with a biblical reformational theology that holds to the authority of Scripture, the sovereignty of God and redemption by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Exploring Theological Psychology: Insights from the Church Fathers
2000
Abstract: "Exploring Theological Psychology: Insights from the Church Fathers" This abstract introduces a scholarly inquiry into Theological Psychology, drawing rich insights from the writings and teachings of the early Christian Church Fathers. The study embarks on a journey through church history to uncover the profound theological and psychological wisdom imparted by these foundational figures, highlighting their enduring relevance in contemporary discussions on the human psyche and spirituality. Through a systematic examination of the writings of prominent Church Fathers, including Augustine of Hippo, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom, this research explores their nuanced perspectives on the nature of the human soul, its relationship with God, and its journey towards spiritual transformation. It delves into Augustine's profound insights on the human will and desire, Gregory's mystical contemplations on the soul's ascent to God, and Chrysostom's practical guidance on the moral development of individuals within the Christian community. By referencing key historical texts such as Augustine's "Confessions," Gregory's "Life of Moses," and Chrysostom's sermons, this study underscores the enduring value of the Church Fathers' contributions to theological psychology. It demonstrates how their theological formulations align with and enrich contemporary psychological concepts related to human identity, moral development, and the pursuit of spiritual flourishing. Furthermore, this research highlights the relevance of the Church Fathers in addressing pressing psychological and spiritual questions of our time. It underscores their teachings on issues such as the human condition, the transformative power of grace, and the cultivation of virtues as valuable resources for individuals, theologians, and psychologists seeking a deeper understanding of the interplay between faith and human psychology. In conclusion, "Exploring Theological Psychology: Insights from the Church Fathers" invites readers to embark on a scholarly journey through church history to rediscover the timeless wisdom of these early Christian theologians. It emphasizes the enduring significance of their contributions to the field of theological psychology and encourages a meaningful dialogue between the theological insights of the Church Fathers and contemporary psychological understanding, fostering a richer comprehension of the intricate relationship between faith and the human psyche.