Psychology – Psychiatry, Faith –Theology. Their relationship and the way they cooperate

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleΨυχολογία-Ψυχιατρική, Πίστη-Θεολογία. Ποια σχέση έχουν μεταξύ τους και πώς συνεργάζονται.
3. Language term Greek, Modern (1453-)
4. lemma author Delli, Eudoxie
5. lemma category Complementarity - Scientific theories and disciplines > Psychology-Psychoanalysis - Orthodox theological tradition and practice
6. Publication date 28-1-2017
7. lemma work Τhermos, (Protopresbyter) Vasileios [Author]. Psychology – Psychiatry, Faith – Theology. Their relationship and the way they cooperate
8. lemma manifestations YouTube
9. Keywords mental health - mental illness - visions of God and forms of religiosity - gender identity - homosexuality - suicide - surrogate motherhood - mental health promotion - sainthood and self-realization
10. Url Click Here
11. Citations
    1. <p style="text-align: justify;">Θερμός, (Πρωτοπρεσβ.) Β., Μάμα-Αγαπίου, Π., Παπαλεοντίου-Λουκά, Ε. (2015, October 20). Ψυχολογία-Ψυχιατρική, Πίστη-Θεολογία. Ποια σχέση έχουν μεταξύ τους και πώς συνεργάζονται [Video file]. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVbhBPsLv5s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVbhBPsLv5s</a></p>
12. Lemma body

    1. The three speakers, based also on clinical cases, treat the subject of the cross fertilization of psychological sciences and Orthodoxy with the aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding of modern subject’s mental and spiritual disorders, and to promote mental health as well.

       Fr Vasileios Thermos, mentioning characteristic cases from his clinical experience, identifies the differences between psychological/psychiatric and spiritual problems and argues that spirituality and psychology are closely entwined within human person. This ascertainment leads him to emphasize on the utility of the encounter between psychological sciences and religion. Finally, he also gives a short historical account of this relation in West and in Greece too.

       Panagiota Mama-Agapiou states that self–awareness is an indispensable condition for the Knowledge of God. In this sense, psychology and religion could cooperate in favour of Man and ‘for the glory of God’ (Cor. 1, 10:31). The presumption of ‘exclusive’ truth claimed by both sides and the construction of personal identity on rivalry are doubtful products of insecurity. Psychological sciences and religion could act as complementarities in the quest for the authentic human person.

       Eleonora Papaleontiou-Louca indicates the prejudices and the suspicion attested by a part of Churchmen towards the ‘atheist’ Psychology, highlighting that the relation between theology and psychology goes back to the patristic anthropological conceptions. She exposes the different purposes (sainthood/deification – self-realization) of psychological sciences and Orthodox religion and enumerates five models of their relationship. Furthermore, the speaker clarifies their differences and similarities in approaching the concept of psyche (Soul) and the meaning of life and the corollary conceptions of suffering and therapy. She also explains how the divergent representations of God in His relation to Man could influence the mental health and the quality of life of the believers, while she criticizes the transformation of psychology to a quasi-religion. According to the speaker, the psychological sciences and Orthodox religion can converge in serving the suffering man. In this sense, their separation acts against him. Secular knowledge is considered as a Divine gift. So, the Orthodox believers must imitate the ‘bee’ – a classical symbol in Patristic literature-, making a selective and creative use of the contemporary scientific wisdom and practices.

       The three lectures are followed by a vivid discussion between the speakers and the audience. The discussion covers a large spectrum of topics on the concepts of psyche; on the necessary and sufficient conditions for choosing a therapist; on the evolutionary psychology; on patristic psychological remarks; on normal and pathological religiosity; on the causes of anti-social behaviours; on the stereotypes and on gender identity disorders; on homosexuality; on suicide and surrogate motherhood; on the definitions of mental health, as well as on the mental illness prevention and mental health promotion.