Page 29 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 2

Christian Anthropology

Comment

on Agnes May “The living rhythm

of healthy abilities”
Trevor Griffith

I found this short article highly informative. In 2,500 sations and churches. Hanna Baar is right to emphasise
words Agnes May has explained a valuable and practical the importance of the attentiveness needed to explore a
conversational tool, such that anyone could immediately feature of life wisely, by knowing that there is a healthy
include the technology both within their daily under- range so that inattention to its shadow ability does not
standing of people’s behaviour, and within their profes- pre-dispose to addictive narrowness, nor allow the coun-
sional therapy work. terfeit temptation of deathly extremes to spoil the joy of
widely exploring life.
The notion of ‘Polarity models’ is first explained by re-
ference to three examples of polarities from which the Congratulations to Agnes for such a clear description of
‘Abilities Model’ differs. The ‘To everything turn...’ pas- this valuable way to think about God’s calling for huma-
sage in Ecclesiastes is a celebration of action appropri- nity, to ‘get a life’!
ate to different life settings, poetically presented as op-
posite poles. The philosopher and theologian Romano
Guardini presents life as a series of antitheses, of active
change set in connection with an opposing necessary
pole of fixed structures. The tension between these poles
introduces the notion of life as a healthy rhythm of flux
between them. By contrast with these celebrations of di-
versity, Aristotle’s search for the good life, at an ethical
mid-point for behaviour somewhere between two emoti-
onally-charged extremes, seems guilt-laden and agitated
as a way to live. Although reasoning and self-control are
proposed as the relaxed virtues that achieve this success,
the dispassionate final goal seems to miss something fully
human, and may be impossible to sustain.

The Abilities Model then introduced takes a large step for-
ward from all of these examples, into the realm where it
can practically guide interventions that enhance people’s
self-respect, and energise their capacity to explore new
ways of living. The model describes a series of ‘ranges of
abilities’ between two poles, both of which are valid and
creative features of sustainable living, and beyond each
pole an extreme that has moved beyond sustainability
and creativity. The model lacks the guilt-driven intensity
of Aristotle’s, saying that God has created a cosmos for
us to explore together, and explore and name it we must!
This series of di-poles has been most fully developed into Dr Trevor Griffiths, Great Bri-
a practical tool for reflective learning by Hanne Baar, tain, was a General Medical
building on work by others going back to 1951. The table Practitioner for 25 years, with
of polarities creaks with the weight of years of experience a particular interest in men-
crammed into a small space! Decades of thought hang tal health and systemic family
like a fringe over the edges, showing the unwary the ex- therapy. He trained at Oxford
tremes where they may slip into problems, while giving University and Westminster
everyone the freedom within to explore and compare and Hospital medical School. He
develop as each uniquely feels called. now runs the Emotional Logic
Centre, and provides training
The Abilities Model is not guilt-driven or compulsive, but to promote health and personal
it enables personal empowerment by choice and reflec- development. He works with
tive feedback, so that renewed living order can emerge churches and various commu-
from adaptive living systems, such as families, organi- nity organisations.

29