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pathologically proud. He is self-confident to the ration.” And he was utterly correct. Narcissistic
point of absurdity. He is a leader who cannot defenses are the fig leaves that hide our shame.
accept expert advice, he is deluded by the no- No person, no nation, and no leader need hide
tion he cannot make bad decisions, and he is their deep insecurity with self-aggrandizement,
therefore dangerous. Many Americans know because the sense of shameful inadequacy that
this, and worry for the nation and the world. resides at the core of the narcissism can be
In recent years, renewed interest in Christopher healed.
Lasch’s ideas, combined with the American me- But how does this healing occur? It occurs
dia hyping of our President’s alleged narcissism, when the patient repents of the defense of self-
has driven many courageous Christians to ex- idolatry and admits to self-worship as a reac-
plore habitual character defenses that regulate tion formed against self-hatred. When in the
their self-esteem. In psychotherapy, these pa- course of Christian Depth Psychology, the Love
tients tell me that they want to do their part of God meets the shame of the patient, then the
to heal the culture of narcissism by reforming shame is transformed to Lovability and Ade-
their own character. What a wonderful clinical quacy. Love heals shame, so the mask of nar-
goal for a Christian patient. What a wonderful cissism is no longer needed to hide the patient’s
way to help Jesus Christ establish the Kingdom inner sense of disgrace. Through Christ, Love
of God amid a population obsessed with self- evaporates the shame. The patient heals, reali-
aggrandizement. My patients know that with zing their lovability, and thus, their narcissistic
the tools of social science, placed in a state of defenses become pointless.
grace by asking the Holy Spirit into the clinical Without my Christian faith, my effective work
arena, they can be vulnerable to themselves, to at the heart of the culture be impossible. But
God, and to the therapist. They can change from with faith in a loving, wise God, such work pro-
Servants of Self to Servants of God and man. ceeds gracefully and with joy. Narcissism can be
Lasch wrote that…”narcissism has more in replaced by generative love.
common with self-hatred than with self-admi-

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