Religious Addiction: Obsession with Spirituality

Religious addiction is a disease only recently recognized; however, it has been with humanity throughout the ages. This obsession with spirituality not only has harmful effects for the individual but also a devastating effect on his/her family. As with any addiction, recovery is possible. This article covers the history of religious addiction, its symptoms and characteristics, and also its downward spiral. The effects on the addict, the codependent spouse, and children are discussed. Recovery, including intervention and treatment, is also covered.     

A Closer Look at the Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Western Obsession with the Medieval Muslim Theological Obsession with Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is a topic that has attracted much attention from both medieval Muslim theologians and modern Western scholars. By examining the development of the medieval Muslim Rationalist-Traditionalist discourse surrounding this issue, and Western academic discussions of that discourse, I shall attempt to explain why the issue of anthropomorphism has repeatedly dominated discussions on Islamic theology. I will also attempt to show how various associations made with Muslim Rationalism and Traditionalism have influenced Western perceptions of these movements.     

Obsession for National Security and the Rise of the National Security State-Industry: A Pastoral-Psychological Analysis

In this article, I examine, from a pastoral-psychological perspective, the U.S. obsession with national security and the corresponding rise and consequences of the military-industrial complex and national security state-industry. I argue that preoccupation with national security reflects a paranoid-schizoid (P-S) mode of organizing experience—a mode of experience supported by and represented in political policies and discourse, as well as socially shared narratives and myths. This subjective and intersubjective mode of organizing experience, which is maintained by the defenses of projection, rationalization, moralization, splitting, and denial, accompany the eclipse of the reflective function. From a theological perspective, the obsession for national security signifies both an idolatrous relationship and the presence of bad faith.     

Autism: A Brief History

This paper discusses how the understanding of autism has changed in the 60 years since Leo Kanner first described the syndrome. Originally identified as an emotional disorder caused by parental ambivalence and rejection, autism today is universally seen as a neurohiological difficulty, whose cause is organic and related to atypical brain development. Evidence for the organic and genetic causes is presented, along with a discussion of how the understanding of autism has evolved during the past half century. The current understanding of autism as a developmental disorder has dramatically improved the quality of care and effectiveness of interventions for these youngsters and their families.     

Biography: A Brief History.

Journal of Religion and Health -     

Meeting Across History: A Dialogue

In the coda, Frie and Grand mutually explore what facilitated their process of interaction and dialogue. Frie is the grandson of a Nazi party member, and Grand is the daughter of an American Jewish soldier who liberated Dachau. Through Frie’s article and Grand’s discussion, they worked together to find an I–Thou relation in the shadow of this history. Their interaction in the coda focuses on issues of historicity, ethical clarity, and moral responsibility. They explore our internalized perpetrator legacies—how these legacies live within us, and how we can know, contain, and repair these histories. They examine the prevalence of bystander cultures, past and present, and consider the importance of acknowledging and addressing the transmission of perpetrator histories.     

Pentecostalism in Brazil: A Brief History

Pentecostalism is a popular, fast-growing and politically active force in Brazilian society. It constitutes the greater part of what is now one of the largest practising Protestant communities in the world. However, there have been virtually no academic histories of the phenomenon. The current article, drawing heavily on the author's doctoral thesis, examines the six most important Pentecostal churches as dynamically evolving institutions. They are studied in terms of three waves of institutional creation, emphasizing the flexibility of Pentecostalism's relationship to Brazilian culture and the historical constraints on the development of each group.