http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1626387

Christian Paths to Self-Acceptance

"Historically, the cure of souls has been the distinctive task of the church and its ministry. Today, however, dynamic medical psychology is ministering so effectively to sick souls that many religious leaders are aware of a need for rigorous self-criticism. This study re-examines Christian ideas of self-acceptance, ideas of the way man should look at himself, of the way he should accept himself and his relation to others, of the manner in which he should treat himself--all in the light of modern psychotherapy's discovery of the role of self-acceptance in spiritual well-being. From a psychotherapeutic viewpoint three great historical pathways to self-acceptance can be distinguished within Christianity, Each stresses different values and has distinctive strengths and weaknesses for mental health. Each pathway is analyzed in this study, defined as 1) the self-rejectionist, 2) the forensic, and 3) the meliorist. The author presents both the theological doctrine behind each view of the self, and the actual steps to self-acceptance advocated by each. He then devotes a chapter to a psychotherapeutic view of self-acceptance, illustrated by seven case histories from dynamic psychology of particular relevance to Christian theory. Finally, he evaluates the three pathways, points out positive and negative elements common to all three, and relates the whole to the findings of psychology. Christianity's representatives, he concludes, may regain their respected place in the eyes of the spiritually needy only if they assimilate some of the healing knowledge unearthed by their secular brethren. Members of all religious groups will find here a challenge they cannot ignore"--Jacket. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

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