Page 35 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 8

Christian Psychology as a Challenge

portance of the sermon and verbal instruction zation and human need-fulfilment. Soteriology
in ‘soul care’. Nevertheless, he already shifts the would then be replaced by existential and empi-
focus to people, their needs and their potential. rical analyses. The focus of pastoral care would
no longer be the godless with their sin and guilt,
Very much influenced by Paul Tillich‘s ontolo- but desperate human beings in their anxiety and
gy of acceptance (1965), a certain preconditio- meaninglessness. Trimp (1981:36-39) is one of
ned ontological relationship between God and the sharpest critics of this shift in focus. Accor-
reality was presumed and presupposed. In the ding to him, modern pastoral theology places
light of Christ‘s incarnation, human relation- all its emphasis on the incarnation of Christ as
ships are then viewed as a type of on-going or a human being. In so doing, pastoral theology;
indirect incarnation. In other words, the nature becomes nothing more than a humanistic plea
and quality of human relations are thought to for self-fulfilment (the humanistic reduction of
be an indirect medium through which God‘s re- pastoral care).
deeming involvement is revealed, disconnected
from its kerygmatic tradition (Oden 1966). As a What exactly does ‚soul care‘ mean today, espe-
result, it is not so much the testimony of God‘s cially within the context of pastoral ministry?
Word that brings about human healing through
forgiveness; and conversion, rather the process Cura animarum implies a ministry that is di-
of communication and counselling. rected not merely to a human being’s inner life,
but also to the spiritual care of the total person
Stollberg (1969) in his Therapeutische Seelsor- in all the psychophysical and psychosocial di-
ge, criticizes the overemphasis of the human mensions (spiritual wholeness). ‚Spiritual‘ thus
element in the American pastoral approach. He encompasses more than a person‘s innermost
points out that the kerygmatic character of pa- ego or personality. Soul (psuché‚ anima) signi-
storal care was replaced by an overemphasis on fies the centre of human life (Hebrew: nēphēsh)
non-verbal communication. as it is directed to God, and as it manifests itself
in dynamic relationships of agapē-love (soul as
The danger of such an emphasis is that empi- a relational concept referring to the quality and
rical events and immanent components recei- meaning of life).
ve so much attention that pastoral care loses its
theological character (Stollberg1969:135-139). When nēphēsh is translated as psuché, it signi-
Amongst others, Stollberg blamed H. J. Cline- fies that which is vital in a human being in the
bell for a lack of insight into the eschatological broader sense. In combination with heart (kar-
dimension of pastoral healing and hope. In a dia) and mind (nous), soul in the New Testa-
later publication, Wenn Gott menschlich wäre, ment describes the seat of life or even life itself.
Stollberg (1978: 231) modified his criticism that Within the framework of Scripture, the ‚soul‘
the American approach was too one-sided, and thus comprises much more than the ‚inner-
acknowledged that pastoral actions could be most‘ person, or the person‘s consciousness or
a stronger medium for theological revelation psychic functioning, or a substance located el-
than he had initially presumed. sewhere in the human body. ‚Soul‘ in Christian
spirituality describes thus the essence of human
Criticism from reformed circles towards a more existence: our attitude (habitus) towards god
empirical approach in pastoral care was based and fellow human beings. It should be is rende-
on the following concerns: that the shift from red as a qualitative term: it describes a conduct
justifying the godless (sinners under judge- and human disposition within the presence of
ment and guilty people due to transgressions) God.
to justifying the hopeless (those feeling anxiety,
despair and meaninglessness) would result in As a relational term, a pastoral hermeneutics of
faith-realization being replaced by self-actuali- the human soul is connected to the notion of

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