Page 74 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 3

Christian Psychology

Comment
to „Christian Psychology
in the realm of Humanistic
paradigm“

Gilberto Safra

The paper Christian Psychology in the Realm of Huma-
nistic Paradigm presented by Father Andrey Lorgus dis-
cusses the important issue of Anthropology in the field
of the Christian and Humanistic Psychology. The author
brings forth the different anthropological considerations Gilberto Safra, full Professor in the
between these two perspectives of work. This question is Institute of Psychology of the Uni-
important not only because it focuses on the epistemo- versity de São Paulo, Brazil. Teaches
logical and methodological discussion of our practice, psychotherapy and psychoanalysis
but, also, because it posits very relevant ethical conside- and is a researcher on contempora-
rations. The question that is important to have in mind ry psychopathology, psychology
is: What are the effects of our Anthropological model not of religion. Presents a perspective
only in our work as psychologists, but what are its effects in psychotherapy where there is a
on our patients? need to approach the human being
in his ontological perspective.
In 1933, Edith Stein, a Christian philosopher that worked
with Husserl, wrote The Structure of the human person.
In the preface of this book, Stein points the importance
of realizing that the anthropological model that we use
affects the human being, helping him to reach the goal of
his existence or to make him even more ill, than the mo- We can consider the work of Father Andrey as part of a
ment he came to see us. Stein tells us that the humanist movement in the Orthodox Christian tradition, that tries
ideal projects a man‘s image before the fall, the psycho- to represent the anthropological model derived from
analysis uses the image of man as a being already fallen, hesychasm, as a fecund set of conceptions on human
the existential philosophy presents us a man before his fi- being that could help us to redefine the foundations of
nitude and the nothing. The Christian perspective shows the human sciences. At his side we can meet great con-
us the human being in his complexity: body, soul and temporary thinkers with similar preoccupation as Chris-
spirit without reductionism and a being in hope for the tos Yannaras, John Zizoulas, Sergey Horujii, Jean Claude
future that brings forth the redemption of his own being. Larchet, and others.
In this perspective, the discussion brought forth by Fa-
ther Lorgus is in the horizon of very important issues for Since Psychology was established by the humanistic per-
psychologist and psychotherapists in their daily practice. spective, maybe we should consider Father Andrey´s
In the contemporary world, we can observe that the ar- paper as an invitation to the development of different
gumentation that Stein presented in 1933 and that Father perspectives of psychological practice more attuned with
Andrey Lorgus brings to us in his paper is part of the si- the Christian Anthropology. In Father Andrey´s words:
tuation that psychologists have to face in their everyday Christian psychology needs to expand its psychological
practice. Nowadays, we have to manage different clinical object of research when compared to classical psycholo-
situations, where we meet new organizations of subjecti- gy. A person is not limited by the frame of mental exis-
vity and new forms of psychopathology derived from the tence. In Christian psychology a person is not only defi-
modern anthropological models, where human beings ned by soul, as well as psyche in all its diversity, but also
are seen as individuals with the power of rationality to by individuality.
dominate the world, living in a virtual-digital world or-
ganization. It seems to me that this is the kind of work that we are try-
ing to do as a group. We are professionals and researchers
The Christian anthropology as presented by the author of that consider that Christian Anthropology has something
the paper is not only a religion issue, but it is an ethical very valuable to offer to Psychology. Father Andrey‘s pa-
resistance to preserve the human condition in its comple- per brings important reflections for the achievement of
xity in the contemporary world. this goal.

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