Page 28 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 8
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Christian Psychology as a Challenge



             Within  the  sphere  of  the  helping  and  healing   extent ‘soul’ is not necessarily associated with
             professions, differentiation is extremely impor-  the  quality  of  human  relationships,  corporeal
             tant in order to develop a multi-disciplinary ap-  issues and the existential realm of life.
             proach to human wellness and wholeness. The
             quality of care is determined by the basic an-    In many professional circles, due to the impact
             thropology applied in a very specific discipline.   of the human sciences on anthropology, ‘soul’
             It is argued that in the cooperation between psy-  has become merely a psychological entity. Ho-
             chology and pastoral caregiving, the term ‘soul’   wever,  the  question  should  be  posed  whether
             is often confused with ‘psyche’. Despite neces-   ‘soul’ is only a variant for ‘psyche’.
             sary overlaps, it is important to understand the
             tradition of cura  animarum against  the back-    With  reference  to  a  Christian  understanding
             ground  of  the  wisdom  tradition  in  Christian   of our being human, does ‘soul’ point to ‘more’
             spirituality. Instead of a pessimistic anthropo-  than merely developments in personality theo-
             logy with its focal point on human sinfulness     ries, psycho-social dynamics and neurological
             and guilt, or an optimistic life view that assesses   systems as connected to different functions of
             human  beings  in  terms  of  an  inner  goodness   the brain?
             and basic need-fulfilment, a spiritual approach
             to anthropology understands ‘soul’ in terms of    Is the ‘human soul’ in Christian anthropology a
             a relational and qualitative approach. Thus, the   category sui generis?
             argument  that  ‘soul’  (psuché‚  anima)  signifies
             the centre of human life (Hebrew: nēphēsh) as it   With  reference  to  the  very  old  tradition  of
             is directed to God, and manifested in the dyna-   cura  animarum,  what  is  the  unique  meaning
             mic, systemic relationships of agapē-love (soul   of ‘soul’ in pastoral caregiving? Despite many
             as a relational concept referring to the quality   correspondences, what is unique in a Christian
             and meaning of life). A qualitative approach to   understanding of ‘soul care’? How should one
             healing in soul care connects the hope-giving     differentiate between ‘psyche’ and ‘soul’?
             factor to issues of meaning (significance) and
             human dignity. Within the parameters of a pa-     Towards the essence of the Christian,
             storal theology, soul care exhibits and embodies   spiritual tradition
             the paracletic dimension in care. Pastoral care   I  was  utterly  surprised  to  discover  in  Ludwig
             displays in comfort and compassion, the passion   Feuerbach’s book on the essence of the Christi-
             of a suffering God. The emphasis on meaning in    an faith: Das Wesen des Christentums (1904),
             spirituality and the dimension of ‘spiritual’ (the   a struggle to free traditional, and therefore ‘or-
             striving for freedom, dignity, creativity, aesthe-  thodox  theology’,  from  its  abstract  God-ideo-
             tics,  well-being,  universal  interconnectedness)   logy  and  to  turn  theological  reflection  to  the
             in an increasingly pluralistic and secularised so-  praxis issues of life. The essence of Christianity
             ciety should be viewed as supplementary to the    should be focused on human suffering and our
             primary challenge in soul care namely to link     basic quest for meaning within the realm of so-
             human beings to the comforting compassion of      cial contexts and tragic life events. He sees the
             God.                                              focal point and essence of the Christian faith,
                                                               the  well-being  (heil)  of  humans  (Feuerbach
             In general, the human soul in Christian anthro-   1904:283). His intension was to challenge Chri-
             pology is normally associated with issues like    stian faith and theology to bring hope to human
             sin, repentance, conversion, change of heart, the   beings and heal the pain of a human soul within
             focus on heaven, eternal life and the kingdom     the transience of life. Faith should deal with our
             of God. ‘Soul’ is viewed as a spiritual organ; i.e.   human exposure to anguish and hopelessness.
             that our self-awareness and inner aptitude are    Christians should therefore be agents of hope
             connected through faith with the divine dimen-    and promote the quality of human life. Thus, his
             sion and religious realm of life. ‘Soul’ is not in   proposal to shift an abstract understanding of
             the first place viewed as a ‘life issue’. To a large   an immutable and impassable God-image, to a

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