Page 62 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5

Church Traditions for a Christian Psychology

Krzysztof A. Wojcieszek (Poland)
Comment

to “The Mystery of Persons: Catholic Foundations for
a Psychology of Persons”

Is there a Catholic psychology? Yes, there is. The
author of this interesting and rich article, Keith
Houde, tries to show that it is not only possible,
but present, complex, integrated and adequate.
His way of proving the thesis was to describe the
psychology of Karol Wojtyła/ John Paul II. But Krzysztof Wojcieszek (Poland) MA,
Wojtyła was not a psychologist. So it is rather molecular biology, ethics, MA,Doctor
the reconstruction of psychological aspects of of Humanities - Philosophy, author
his reflections. The reconstruction very brave of many programs and projects of
and elegant. But only a reconstruction, which is prevention used in Poland.
simply only a proposal, only an interpretation.
Despite the fact that Wojtyła was not a psy- Articles by Krzysztof Wojcieszek you
chologist, his works and teaching are full of can see here:
psychological aspects. For people not familiar emcapp.ignis.de Page 26
with the history of Polish humanistic thought,
it can be a little surprising. But for a Polish hu-
manist it is quite normal, because at the Lublin in a strong and dangerous confrontation with
Catholic University there was a very old tra- totalitarian thought, in an atmosphere of real
dition of joining psychology with anthropolo- fight and in the context of two world wars. In
gy and ethics, and even with theology. In the Poland, humanistic thought was too important
curriculum of psychological studies there were to be limited to only one isolated methodolo-
many philosophical and theological subjects. gy. It is very difficult to understand Wojtyła’s
Why? Because of professors’ efforts to make a thinking without understanding the special hi-
full description of man (adequate description). storic paths of Polish humanistic development.
A great group of Polish thinkers use the results Even the influence of the “neopositivistic”, “ana-
of many attitudes (methodologies) to achieve lytical” thought of the “Lviv/Warsaw School”
adequacy in the human description. They were was important in that fascinating story, as well
quite conscious of methodological differences as the special XIX century romantic thought of
between different sciences (prof. Kamiński), but great poets (Mickiewcz, Słowacki, Norwid). So
the results of description can be harmonized Wojtyła was not alone in building his anthropo-
and full, precisely thanks to the different pos- logy and theology.
sibilities of different methodologies. A strong But perhaps the most important thing influen-
influence of philosophy and theology, but also cing the Wojtyła thought was preparing it in-
openness to empirical sciences, was typical for side that Polish society which was the society
that circle. Wojtyła was not alone. In Poland in of believers. For many people, God was not
the whole XX century there was a great group of abstraction but a real Being, the central Persons
thinkers surrounding him, discussing the topics of their life, as the Trinity. It was easier to try
in very difficult historical circumstances. Such to build an adequate, Catholic description of
people as Profs. Krąpiec, Kamiński, Swieżawski, human nature in such society, practicing faith
Gogacz, Ingarden, Grygiel and many others in common life. In many more influential cen-
were colleagues and co-workers of Prof. Wojtyła. ters of psychological thought, it was much more
Polish thought about the human being was so difficult, even strange or impossible. Not in Po-
rich because it developed in special conditions: land.

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