Page 172 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 3

Forum

Various considerations re-

garding “Including God in

psychotherapy: Strong ver-

sus weak theism”

Francesco Cutino

Reading these comments, please take into consideration prehensive. It seems an insufficient conclusion though,
my limited competence on the topic. If some statements because then only nature would exist with its own laws
show apparent contradictions in my personal standing, and dynamics, and nothing else.
that is due to an intense ambivalence I experienced while And still, many of us deeply believe in an active personal
both reflecting and responding to the present article. God who intervenes freely in our destiny without neces-
Notwithstanding that I have already been introduced for sarily following „protocols“ or natural law; and we like-
a few years to similar epistemological dilemmas, I still wise would easily and deeply agree with Plantinga‘s state-
don‘t know what a clear and convincing answer to some ment (2001) mentioned by the authors: „God is already
of the questions would be. This seriously prompts me to and always intimately acting in nature which depends
keep reflecting and praying over it. from moment to moment... upon divine activity“.

As explained by the authors in the article, there is an im- Of course God is not a variable that can be measured but,
pressive and perplexing methodological/epistemological as the authors suggest, this is maybe only because we still
vacuum with regard to bringing any transcendent reality have not developed principles and operations allowing us
into mainstream psychological models. To all psyche and to do so. After all, if He has showed us His bleeding body
brain scientists and professionals, supernatural actors mocked hanging by the wood, why should we not be able
and events usually and practically just do not exist, or or allowed to picture His fresh footprint in our own daily
don‘t matter. Everything about a transcendent reality is existence, which is so dear to Him? If God works, why
just regarded as unquestionable and unanswerable, may- should we not be able or allowed to see Him at work?!
be just belonging to the realm of myth. Saying this I simultaneously feel it true and feeling it odd:
Still, many of us psychologists, neurologists and psych- God cannot be measured, I mumble, and when He usu-
iatrists believe, and at times even give witnesses in our ally acts He normally does it through the same natural
personal life, to a spiritual and supernatural reality. We laws He set up around us. I am beginning to feel how
do believe in a personal, active and „jealous“ God, lea- much a streak of very real and very practical atheism pos-
ding both the history of the whole universe and each one sibly runs within me; in fact, God is free to act in whate-
of our own lives in particular. ver way He likes, through the natural laws governing our
physical realm, or in any other way. The Master would
Here obviously there is a gap, and most of us professio- be there in both cases, whether I like it or not, whether I
nals and researchers don‘t even notice it. believe it or not.
After many years of training into a naturalistic paradigm,
I feel used to and too comfortable with the idea that God When the authors say „...the reluctance to speak of or af-
as a variable is not necessary and not workable, as we can firm God‘s potentially necessary activity is itself a theo-
only work in the natural realm whose laws and dynamics logical position that strong theism is not willing or able
we can observe and study. For example, I can use the
well known and „standardised“ protocol of forgiveness
knowing, but without explicitly mentioning, that God
possibly would play a major role in softening my client‘s Francesco Cutino
heart towards deep forgiveness. (Italy), Ph.D., clini-
God would play his part without claiming it loudly, and cal psychologist and
I would play mine, of a competent, objective and poli- psychotherapist, as-
tically correct professional/researcher, never mentioning sociate of the Italian
the former. Catholic Association
of Psychologists and
Is that enough? I actually do wonder that because, Psychiatrists, presi-
pushing this rationale forward, I would end up as usual dent founder of the
and as everybody else (politically correct and objective association “Jonas is
professionals/researchers) saying that there is no need for on the way”, Rome,
the God variable, that God is not necessary for scientific Italy
knowledge and clinical practice to be effective and com-

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