Page 40 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 7

Foundational Discussions in Christian Psychology

Elena Strigo (Russia)

Comment to

“Relational Theology and

Relational Therapy” Elena Strigo
(Russia) psy-
chologist, psy-
The growing interest in Christian theology and chotherapist,
its impact on Christian psychotherapy is reflec- European Cer-
ted in the article and directs our attention to the tificate in Psy-
possible integration of relational theology and c ho t he r a p y (EAP). Full member of
relational therapy. This integration highlights the Professional Psychotherapeutic League
the importance, in the theory and praxis of the- of Russia. Head of the Psychological Coun-
rapy, of reflecting on the relationship viewed seling Centre ABIGAIL, Krasnoyarsk, Rus-
as God and man relationship. The question in sia. President of the Krasnoyarsk Regional
discussion directs our attention to the impor- Society of Christian Psychologists and Psy-
tance of theological perception of relationship, chotherapists.
its basic values, such as love, creativity, flexibili-
ty, to the process and modelling of therapeutic Article by Elena Strigo you can see here:
relationship. Journal 3, page 102

The human relationship with God, which is at
the core of any human activity and interaction, teracting therapeutically within the relational
forms the profound background for perception domain with three views of the image of God,
and performing of human relationship. The re- the therapist affects some part of image of God
lational aspects experienced through Christian to be reclaimed and reawakened. It must be re-
theology surpass their social, role-playing or cognised that the reawakening of the image of
behavioural limits and ascend to the Image of God is an inalienable part of Christian therapy.
God. Thus, the basic question of relationship However, the presented theory bypasses the es-
raised both for theology and for therapy is the sentially divine nature of image of God, concen-
essence and the purpose of relationship of God trating more on human attributes, more social
and man and of relationship of the image of than spiritual. Thus the image of God becomes
God to what is human in a man. Considering a scientific abstraction of a scientific theology
this, what is similar in relational theology and and as such can easily be integrated with the
relational therapy may become less informative methods of psychotherapy. Hence, we lose the
than what is unique in God and man relation- true subject in Christian therapy: a person in
ship. The mystical aspect of this relationship, his unique and mystical relationship with God,
irreducible to any known human interrelation, in which through revelation he acknowledges a
may deepen the impact of theology on the pro- divine aspect of his human-divine personality.
blem of relationship in therapy. Theology understood as a scientific discipline
refers to the human-like attributes of the divi-
Interrelation of theology and therapy is a ne image, thus making relational aspects more
complex and multilevel phenomenon. It was operational than truly religious. From this point
stressed that image of God is an important topic of view, the structured therapeutic relationship,
in theology. Three approaches (structural, func- with its theory and methodology of healing,
tional, and relational) were presented to cover should rather contradict the revelational ack-
the application of the image of God to thera- nowledgement of God in personal communion
py where they correspond to three domains of with God than to amplify it. The relationship of
psychotherapy. According to this theory, by in- God and man, even described through compre-

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