Page 47 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 8

Christian Psychology as a Challenge

Roland Mahler Roland Mahler,

Comment to Dr.,Theologist,

“‘Psyche’ or ‘soul’? P sy c h o log i s t
Psycho-
MSc,
Towards a Christian therapist SPV,
Director of Insti-
Approach to Anthropology tute of Christian

in Pastoral Caregiving and Psychology, Psy-
chotherapy and
Spiritual Healing” Education, Swit-
zerland
www.icptp.ch. He is the author of „Gewissen

Louw presents an anthropological study on und Gewissensbildung in der Psychothera-
the meaning of terms like “soul” and “psyche” pie“ (Conscience and Forming of Conscience
within the realm of “spiritual care” and with in Psychotherapy) 2009. From 1986 -1998 he
regard to a wide Christian tradition of these directed the therapeutic center Best Hope.
terms.
Article by Roland:
Feuerbach in his “Das Wesen des Christen- http://emcapp.ignis.de/2/#/116
tums” emphasizes God’s passion as projective http://emcapp.ignis.de/4/#/52
result of human experience of suffering in or-
der to produce something like Christian religi- tually Adams and Davies) try to provide their
on (the general critical intention of Feuerbach’s own solutions to the problem (from wisdom-
work is not reflected in Louw’s perception!). based conceptions to redemptory and sin for-
Louw’s perspective seems to be quite a psycho- giving procedures) – but obviously fail! None
logical understanding of Feuerbach’s theology: of these, including Moltmann, really succeeds
Transcience as an unescapable reality of man’s in giving a sufficient anthropological and theo-
existence is a psychic reality and is encountered logical answer to the problem above – though
by hope and belief – as psychic states of human Louw doesn’t seem to pay much attention to
consciousness. this fact at this point of the essay. He rather fo-
cusses on the problem of role and significance
There is a basic problem in the Christian con- of “cura animarum” among other caring profes-
cept of “pastoral care” or “soul care” (Seelsorge): sions or facilities in the church as well as on the
The dynamic relation between soul and God is question what contribution to human wellbeing
generally not clearly enough considered neither a “cura animarum” could provide in our egoist
by Christian anthropology nor by (systema- culture.
tic) theology itself. The question is: based on
which conception of God’s presence in human “Pastoral care” seems not to be quite the same
soul and therefore for what reason and by what as “shepherding” and it is not quite the same
means will a Christian counsellor induce God as general psychological counselling either. In
as a psychic factor? Louw mentions different my opinion it is mainly the acting position of
conceptions, i.e. Moltmanns theology of hope. the pastor / priest which makes the difference –
Hope is indeed a strong psychic energy in order not so much the contents and issues of the care
to motivate man’s action. Hope as a matter of process. It is the very position in between God
Faith has therefore always been one of the main and man endowed with a singular mandat and
issues in “pastoral care” or (as Louw writes) characterised by the intention of reconciliati-
“cura animarum”, the programmatic statement on (2 Cor 5,20) that gives this role an unique
of Gregor the Great in the 6th century. Other shape. In this vicarious role (representing the
explanations of “soul care” or “cura anminarum” church and representing Christ) “pastoral care”
(Anderson, Clebsch, Jaeckle, Nauer and even- fills in a very different gap than psychotherapy
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