Being vulnerable. Exercising authority. Helping those in need.
They could be seen as attributes of a Christ-follower.
They could also be seen as roles under Steven B Karpman’s triangle theory.
Is there a place for psychiatry, psychology and psycho-analysis in Christianity? Does it provide us with useful tools or is it an industry that meddles with our souls?
Under the marketplace rules of supply & demand, does a skew towards education, therapy and charity, breed a generation of clever, ill-minded beggars?
5 comments:
Is their a role for psychology or Sociology in Christianity/Faith? Why.... because they may help explain how experiential learning impacts upon our understanding/relationship with God. What I mean to say is I think we can agree that as humans we are experiential learners that is we learn from events, experiences etc etc. Therefore key relationships in our life at some point are going to impact either consciously or sub-consciously on how we perceive/view God thus forming some predispositions in our responses at times. If we are self aware then we may understand the impact of some of these, if we are not then we may not understand how these experiences may colour/influence our opinions/view or relationship with God.
Consequently it is not going to be helpful when people talk from the front about what ultimately is THEIR experience or relationship with God as it is likely to be based on their experiential learning.
I personally think that anything that supports people in becoming more 'self aware' is a positive thing especially if it helps them understand and interpret their experiences and how these may impact on their relationship with God or faith.
How does this link (loosely) with having 'dominion' over the earth (See God's fragile creation thread). Is understanding our minds or selves a bad thing? There is much secular theory that is very useful for understanding how humans work, in fact you refer to some yourself in Jesus is the dot what?!! Again does this not depend on how it is used?
When you say an industry that meddles with our souls are you referring to organised religion or medicine?
good question. surely the difference between 'meddling' and 'helping' is *invitation*. surely, through faith, a christian is 'asking' for help in their soul from Christ. but im not sure a psychiatrist would admit, or even think themselves, that they were tampering with the spiritual.
on the positive side, i would say that the psych-industry provides some interesting theories and analyses that can help us to understand and accept each other.
but other than that, i would say that many issues which they claim to deal with, have spiritual roots that require spiritual authority to handle. a believer would say this authority comes from Christ.
in my experience, while analysis of the demonic is often fascinating (and that fascination being a huge trap in itself), it leads only to demon agitation and multiplication.
in my view, the last thing that 'a thinking culture' needs is a 'thinking' substitute for casting demons out.
what does it mean when an evil spirit "...arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. and the final condition of that man is worse than the first..."? [bible:niv:nt:luke11]
apoc, im not sure i understand what you mean by 'self-awareness'.
on 'talking from the front', isnt much of christianity built on hearing the testimony of others?
the 'drama triangle' i find largely fruitless, but it does have some interesting connotations. like, obviously, without 'aggressors' there are no 'victims', and hence no need for 'helpers'. would that scenario be ideal or disastrous for the arms race and global economy for example?
also, the psycho-industry creates a bizarre intellectual hierarchial spiral of helping. first i see a victim, then i become a helper, then i can analysis the relationship (e.g the drama triangle), then i can analyse the analysis - like i am doing here (i must be very high up the hierarchy by now).
i don't remember Jesus doing any of this.
There hasn't been activity here for a while but I will jump in anyway.
It seems too often people get stuck in an "either/or" Greek mode of thinking.
Scripture, and our Christian faith, is based in a Hebraic worldview, which can be described in a very short hand fashion by saying "both/and" rather than "either/or" Perhaps another way is to say it, is more cyclical than linear.
In any event, in relation to the applicablity of the Drama Triangle:
If we understand that there are several elements involved here we can find a productive tool.
No, certainly Jesus did not display such dysfunctional behavior as the roles involved here. He did address similar issues but in different language.
However, we are often not yet perfected/attained spiritual maturity and we can fall prey to many human frailties, among them falling into "scripted roles."
Because we consist of body, human spirit (enfolded with the Ruach/Holy Spirit on belief) and the soul, which I view as mind, will and emotions; it becomes more clear that God designed us to have these different facets. We can deal with things on a spiritual level AND on a psychological level.
Years ago I thought of integrating my faith "into" my mental health practice. I realized some years later that faith, or my view of God's role is really primary. I integrate awareness of psychological processes into an understanding that is based first in a Scriptural understanding.
Too often, people are unconcious of the ways in which they behave, which I would consider counterproductive, in agreement with commentor who applauded self awareness.
While use of the drama triangle concept should not be necessarily construed as "Biblical", still it can be very helpful for relationships within faith based groups. If leaders/members in fellowships don't know the pattern they can all too easily fall into it. This has caused a great deal of fragmentation in our faith communities; lack of recognition of maturity issues--psychologically, relationally, spiritually.
Our community is currently developing a teaching manual to go with our audio CD for fellowship leaders to help them use this tool appropriately within their communities.
We have noted that the Drama Triangle concepts can help comprehend the dynamics of a number of events in Scripture, among them the situation with Paul and the Gentile Believes in Galatia as they struggled with the Influencers who wanted them to become proselytes, too; not just rely on their faith in Messiah.
Also,
Check out www.ffoz.org newsletter for July 20 2008 which addresses triangulation and its application to the story of the Israelites, Midianites and Moabites.
this is insightful.
i agree with your comment barb about the Christian faith being based on a hebraic worldview, but i am a non-jewish believer, so naturally have a 'greek mode of thinking'.
in terms of 'faith', i believe that i am 'adopted' [bible:niv:nt:eph1] into the church. and so i am not 'first fruit', but i am most certainly fruit!
is it possible for a non-jewish believer to have a 'hebraic worldview'?
how can they develop such a thing without becoming converts to judaism?
is it at all important for them to have such a thing?
is it realistic to expect them to have one?
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