Christian-Oriented Psychology : The Problem of Its Development

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleХристиански ориентированная психология: проблема становления
3. Language term Russian
4. lemma author Asliturk, Miriam
5. lemma category Scientific theories and disciplines > Psychology-Psychoanalysis - Ecumenism and dialogue > Education - Orthodox Anthropology
6. Publication date 04-06-2018
7. lemma work Сивоха, А. Н. [Author]. Христиански ориентированная психология: проблема становления
8. lemma manifestations Вестник Омского университета
9. Keywords christian psychology - Christian psychotherapy - Christian psychotherapy - orthodoxy and health - Russian Orthodoxy - anthropology - dialogue
10. Url Click Here
11. Citations
    1. <p>Сивоха, А. Н. (2007). Христиански ориентированная психология: проблема становления. <em>Вестник Омского университета</em>, (2), 91-95. Retrieved from: <a href="https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/hristianski-orientirovannaya-psihologiya-problema-stanovleniya">https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/hristianski-orientirovannaya-psihologiya-problema-stanovleniya</a> </p>
12. Lemma body

    1. The article dwells on the possibility of a dialogue between psychology as science and Orthodox Christianity. The author argues that there is mutual distrust between psychology and Orthodox theology. The main reason for this, lies on the fact that psychology is based on secular values. The author points out that in pre-revolutionary Russia psychological science developed within the church dogma and was initially (since the XVIIIth century) taught in theological educational institutions.

       Currently, a number of psychologists and priests speak about the possibility of developing a Christian-oriented psychology. As psychology represents an independent tradition, it is hardly possible to speak of changing its methodological basis or replacing it with Orthodox anthropology altogether. It is nonetheless possible to set up a fruitful dialogue between scientific psychology and Orthodox theology. The author points out that such a practice already exists. Psychologists and priests (who often have an education in psychology) meet on a regular basis and discuss theoretical and practical problems of emerging Christian-oriented psychology: this testifies to the development of a Christian trend in psychology. The First International Conference "Psychology and Christianity: the Path of Integration" was held in 1995 in Moscow. In 2003, the Russian Orthodox University of St. John the Theologian together with the Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education founded the Methodological Seminar on Christian Psychology to discuss problems surrounding the development of a Christian psychology and its respective terminologies and methodologies. An important milestone in the development of a dialogue between psychology and Orthodoxy was the establishment in 2006 of the Orthodox Society of Psychologists.

       Orthodox theology and psychology are also trying to find a way of practical implementation of cooperation in psychotherapy. Christian-oriented psychology, which is still at its experimentation stage, emphasizes a “complex approach” regarding issues of soul therapy. This approach presupposes a dialogue oriented toward Christian values between the psychologist and the client. Christian-oriented psychologists affirm the need for specialized medical assistance, pointing out that, based on the universal anthropological concept of Orthodoxy, one can not ignore the individual characteristics of each person. At the same time the psychologist should not replace the priest. He/she can instead become the necessary initial step leading the person to the Church.