Psychodynamics and vicarial divinity

683

Abstract

The author offers classification of religious experience from the view point of some mental conditions lying in its basis. He underlines that all these ex-periences by itself yet do not guarantee true Christian spiritual experience, the main difference of spirituality in heresies and sects is in a priority of the experience over love. Contemplating this problem which is also an internal problem of the Christian Church, the author formulates some question, which orthodox psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists should put before Church and all the rests world in which decision they should take ac-tive part.

General Information

Keywords: religious experience, experience, spirituality, the boundary person

Journal rubric: Psychology of Faith, Christian Psychology and Psychotherapy

For citation: Termos V. Psychodynamics and vicarial divinity . Konsul'tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya = Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2009. Vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 119–132. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

A Part of Article

The author offers classification of religious experience from the view point of some mental conditions lying in its basis. He underlines that all these experiences by itself yet do not guarantee true Christian spiritual experience, the main difference of spirituality in heresies and sects is in a priority of the experience over love. Contemplating this problem which is also an internal problem of the Christian Church, the author formulates some question, which orthodox psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists should put before Church and all the rests world in which decision they should take active part.

References

  1. Batson, C. Daniel, Schoenrade, Patricia, Ventis, W. Larry. 1993. Religion and the individual. Oxford University Press.
  2. Diet, Emmanuel. 1999. Pratiques sectaires et processus d’alienation: emprise et manipulation. Debats de psychanalyse: “Sectes”. Presses Universitaires de France.
  3. Enriquez, Eugène. 1999. Le refus du trouble ou vivre entre soi jusqu’à en mourir. Debats de psychanalyse: “Sectes”. Presses Universitaires de France.
  4. Fenwick, Peter. 2001. The neurophysiology of religious experience. “Psychosis and spirituality: exploring the new frontier”, Isabel Clarke (ed.). Whurr publ.
  5. Forman, R.K.C. 1998. The innate capacity: mysticism, psychology, and philosophy. Oxford University Press.
  6. Fontana, David. 2005. Psychology, Religion, Spirituality. (Greek edition).
  7. Godin, André. 1985. The psychological dynamics of religious experience. Religious Education Press.
  8. Quick Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-IV. American Psychiatric Association, 1994.
  9. Sanders, Peter. 1994. Peak religious experiences and mystical experiences. Pastoral Sciences, v. 13.
  10. Stark, Rodney. 1997. A taxonomy of religious experience. “The psychology of religion: theoretical approaches”, Bernard Spilka, Daniel McIntosh (eds.). Westview Press.

Information About the Authors

Vasileos Termos, Doctor of Psychology, Clergyman. Specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry, Athens, Greece, e-mail: laranikpol2007@yandex.ru

Metrics

Views

Total: 1479
Previous month: 3
Current month: 0

Downloads

Total: 683
Previous month: 2
Current month: 0