Psychotherapy as “Work in the Spirit”: Thinking Theologically about Psychotherapy

1996 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 284-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kunst ◽  
Siang-Yang Tan

This article is an exploration of the meaning, value, and function of psychotherapy within a theology of work. Using Volf's (1991) three-fold model of “work in the Spirit,” psychotherapy is seen as cooperation with God, as eschatological work, and as pneumatological or Spirit-centered work. Psychotherapy's most basic goal is to repair the broken personality. The work of psychotherapy is cooperation with God in God's own work of preserving and transforming the original, now-fallen creation. The fruit of such work—the healed and restored human person—will be the raw material from which God will build the new creation. Thus, the work of psychotherapy is God's work in both its intrinsic and instrumental value, as it honors the original creation and makes way for the new. Finally, psychotherapy is seen as God's work in that it is empowered by the Holy Spirit, who gifts, calls, and enables psychotherapists to participate in God's own preserving and transforming work in the world.

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-344
Author(s):  
Daniel Munteanu

AbstractOne of the most important contributions of Orthodox theology to ecotheology consists in its understanding of matter as an expression of the divine rationality. The logoi of the world are connected with the divine Logos and have an inner aspiration towards communion with God. Maximus Confessor’s view of the material world as potential church leads to a cosmic ecclesiology with direct significance for the overcoming of our contemporary ecological crisis. His theology of creatio originalis and of the new creation as transfigurated universe allows us to speak about the theological dignity of matter as the ‘home of God’, as well as a field of dialogue between creator and human beings. The Orthodox spirituality, as spirituality of theosis, of the transfiguration of matter through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is deeply ecological and, at the same time a source for a culture of healing communication, dialogue, love and respect of the ecosystems as expression of God’s rationality.


Author(s):  
Miikka Ruokanen

In his magnum opus Luther follows the Trinitarian logic of John and Paul in the New Testament and the Patristic teaching on the indivisibility of the works of the three persons of the Trinity. When the Holy Spirit of the Father and of the Son makes known Christ, he simultaneously makes known the Father who sent his Son. The mission of the Son depends entirely on his Father who sent him, and the mission of the Son becomes effective only in the power of the Holy Spirit. Only the Spirit makes Christ together with his gifts truly present in the human person, without the Spirit, Christological grace has no impact on the sinner—Christological grace and Pneumatological grace are inseparable and simultaneous. Luther expresses the same truth both in Pneumatological and in Christological terms, the chapter at hand displays extensive evidence on this coincidence. Moreover, Luther creates an explicit analogy between the creation of the universe and of the work of the Holy Spirit enabling the new birth or rebirth of the sinner. The universe was created “from nothing” by the monergistic power of the Triune God, so is the conversion and the faith of the sinner created ex nihilo by God’s Spirit. As human beings “did nothing to create themselves,” likewise they cannot do anything to “newly create” themselves from unbelief to faith; any notion of free choice collapses. The ability of creation and that of new creation are divine properties only: “Let God be God!”


2021 ◽  
pp. 000332862110571
Author(s):  
Ross Kane

For Anglicans, tradition entails continuity with a past mediated into present circumstances in ways that ever reshape understandings of God’s work in the world. Tradition is a concept with wide-ranging connotations that have changed over Anglican history. This essay highlights poignant moments that especially shaped contemporary Anglican notions of tradition, such as the medieval Conciliar Movement, the contributions of Richard Hooker, the Oxford Movement, and twentieth century ecumenism. Today Anglicanism’s global identity is reshaping its understandings of tradition, as the Holy Spirit reveals an ever wider and more intercultural picture of Christ. Through the process of handing on faith, our tradition reforms and grows.


2022 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-91
Author(s):  
Anggi Maringan Hasiholan ◽  
Daniel Sihotang

Lukas memberikan porsi tertinggi terkait dengan tema Roh Kudus. ­ Oleh karena itu, pembahasan mengenai pneumatology. Lukas harus diarahkan kepada apa yang sudah, sedang, dan akan dikerjakan atas gereja dan seluruh orang percaya yang adalah tubuh Kristus. Hasil dari karya itu akan berdampak kepada kehidupan jemaat yang bertumbuh secara kualitas dan kuantitas. Namun dewasa ini, Roh Kudus banyak dipandang sebagai kuasa dari luar yang membuat pelayanan seseorang berhasil. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengungkap kembali karya Roh Kudus dalam hidup orang percaya sebagai pribadi dan tubuh Kristus. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah kualitatif deskriptif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pneumatologi Lukas mengarahkan setiap orang percaya masa kini dapat memanifestasikan karya dan kasih Roh Kudus bagi setiap orang. Dengan mengerjakan ini, maka relativitas dunia dalam memahami kasih Tuhan dapat terlihat jelas dalam cara hidup orang percaya yang menjaga harmonisasi seluruh ciptaan.Luke gives the highest portion related to the theme of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the person who begins, works, and ends God's work in this world. The results of this work will impact the congregation's life, which grows both in quality and quantity. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit is widely seen as an external power that makes one's ministry successful. The purpose of this research is to reveal the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers as the person and body of Christ again. The research method used is descriptive qualitative. The results show that Luke's pneumatology directs every believer today to manifest the work and love of the Holy Spirit for everyone. By doing this, the relativity of the world in understanding God's love can see in the way of life of believers who maintain the harmonization of all creation.


1998 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Wright

A TRANSFORMATIVE THEOLOGY of Christian education is defended against reconstructionist alternatives. Any authentic theology of education should be grounded in the ontic reality of the divine economy of salvation. Though important, noetic questions of theological epistemology, together with pragmatic issues of pedagogic strategy, are not to be taken as foundational. Certain traits of Lutheran theology lend superficial support to a reconstructionist theology, but only at the expense of introducing a crippling dualism between faith and creation. The Biblical picture of the completion of the new covenant and new creation through the work of the Holy Spirit lends strong support to a transformative theology.


1988 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-309
Author(s):  
Joseph M. McShane

Throughout his career John Carroll supported the American religious settlement with surprising and consistent enthusiasm. Indeed, his enthusiasm for the religious liberty of the new republic seemed to be boundless. Thus he never tired of celebrating and advertising its benefits. He assured American Catholics that it was “a signal instance of [God's] mercy” and a product of the active intervention of Divine Providence and the Holy Spirit, who have “tutored the minds of men” in such a way that Catholics could now freely worship God according to the “dictates of conscience.” Flushed with pride, he even predicted that if America were wise enough to abide by the terms of this providential arrangement, the nation would become a beacon to the world, proving that “general and equal toleration…is the most effectual method to bring all denominations of Christians to an unity of faith.” Finally, confident that the extraordinary freedom accorded American Catholics would make the American church “the most flourishing portion of the church,” he urged European states and churches to follow America's inspired lead.


Author(s):  
David. T. Williams

The emergence of the Charismatic movement has generated a new awareness and interest in the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, but has also brought a realisation that there is a still-neglected Person of the Trinity, the Father. Part of the reason for this lies in the historical development in the doctrine of the Trinity, which led to a belief that external actions of God are not differentiated between the Persons, and also in the fact that the Father only generally acts in the world by Son and Spirit, so has no clear role. It seems natural to attribute creation to the Father, but even here, the Bible sees the Son as the actual creator. Nevertheless, the Father can be seen as the source of the concepts and means behind the material; interestingly there are hints of this in classical Greek thought and other faiths. This is ongoing, perhaps particularly in the evolutionary process of the world. Thus, paralleling the incarnation, the Father is present in the material universe, as its ethos. He can also be seen to be affected by creation, sharing in its nature in his kenōsis, and in its suffering. Creation then inspires a sense of wonder not only from its existence, extent and nature, but from its interactions and underlying concepts; this is worship of the Father. Sin is then when this is overlooked, or when actions disrupt it; these are an offence to the Father.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-29
Author(s):  
Fatony Pranoto ◽  
Ivonne Eliawaty ◽  
Surja Permana

Pastoral service is a spiritual service and should not be ignored in the pastoral ministry. At GBI the Jordan River Surabaya has provided several models of material services: Money / goods to help congregations in need; Spiritually: introducing people to Jesus Christ and to life in the Holy Spirit or led by the Spirit, new born life becomes a new creation (not only identity / without repentance; Healing: making others healthy, both physical, mental and emotional as well as; Prophetic: changing the way of human life in the structure of society. Improve people’s way of life (especially in rural areas).


Augustinus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-78
Author(s):  
Vittorino Grossi ◽  

The article deals with the key ideas to understand S. Augustine’s Spirituality, setting in its context the figure of the postconstatinian saint, and discussing the topic of the degrees of sanctity in Saint Augustine. Later, it deals with the various spiritual phases in the writings of Saint Augustine, dividing the life of the doctor of Hippo in two moments, before and after his priestly ordination, pointing out in the second stage the role and function of the Holy Spirit as love and principle of holiness. The importance of spiritual man in the period of the anti-Pelagian struggle is also revealed. It also explains what is for Saint Augustine the spirituality of the heart.


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