The “Self”, its vicissitudes and possibilities: An essay in theological anthropology

Conclusion Some readers may be disappointed that more direct implications for practical theology have not been drawn. I do hope to draw some of these out in the future. But first another step must, in my opinion, be taken. That is an attempt to spell out the relationship between the self and the spirit. Recall that the self is a Johnnie-come-lately to the theological scene. Spirit, on the other hand, has been at the core of Christian reflection since it began, and still is the most comprehensive term for what a human being is, as well as what a human being may become, paradoxically. To this problem of self and spirit I hope to turn my attention, and then to see how the problem's perplexing practical theology looks.     

Counselling and psychotherapy as a form of learning: some implications for practice

This paper explores counselling and psychotherapy as a form of learning. Previous experiences may create distortions in meaning-making perspectives, distortions that create templates for evaluating future experience. These templates act as barriers to being open to experience; thus there is an inability to learn from experience. The process of therapy can provide a learning milieu for the exploration and working through of these barriers, with a potential outcome of a return to learning from experience. It is suggested here that intrinsic to the learning milieu created in therapy there are elements of significant, transformative and emotional learning. Therapy is thus a reparative discourse that facilitates a return to learning from experience. A deconstruction of this concept is provided here as a way of developing the exploration of counselling and psychotherapy as a form of learning.     

Churches as organisations: towards a virtue ecclesiology for today

This article is an attempt to offer insights from organisation studies to ecclesiology. To do so it draws particularly on the work of the moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre to offer a virtue ecclesiology for today. The application of MacIntyre's conceptual framework of practices, institutions, goods and virtues to all kinds of organisations, which already exists in the field of organisation studies, is extended to the church as an organisation. It suggests that the church may be re-described as an organisation in which the practices of faith are housed within the institution of the church. On this understanding, the gift of the church to the world is not simply the practices of faith but the manner in which they are institutionalised.     

The Platonic conception of intellectual virtues: its significance for virtue epistemology

Synthese - Several contemporary virtue scholars (e.g. Zagzebski in Virtues of the mind: an inquiry into the nature of virtue and the ethical foundations of knowledge, Cambridge University Press,...     

Existential, theological, and psychological concepts of death: a personal retrospective

Before Freud, the study of death belonged strictly in the contexts of religion and philosophy, but in the 20th Century, death and dying began to enter into dialogue with the social sciences of psychology and sociology. The existentialists began to portray death differently in their literary-based philosophy, and by the end of the century four major American writers had dealt squarely with death in a theological framework. The author's own personal experiences and academic endeavors frame this evolution in theories about death and dying, beginning with a Master's thesis in college and ending with a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education in a shock trauma hospital. In this article the mystery of death is examined from three distinct points of view: literary (including existentialism, a philosophy as literature), theological and psychological, based upon the author's career as a professor of literature, as seminary student, and as a recent participant in Clinical Pastoral Education. An attempt at a synthesis of these three strands of inquiry is made at the end of this personal and academic journey.     

Body dysmorphic disorder: implications for its validity as a DSM-III-R clinical syndrome

A sample of 258 college students responded to three items in Likert-format designed by the authors to elicit information relating directly to the three criteria for body-dysmorphic disorder described in DSM-III-R (1987). 70% of the participants endorsed some agreement with an item regarding dissatisfaction with some aspect(s) of their bodies. 46% indicated some preoccupation with this aspect of their appearance, and 48% indicated some exaggeration of their perceived body image. Sex differences were significant on all three items. 28% of the sample endorsed all three of the items taken together. These results raise questions about the utility of a diagnosis which, as it is currently defined, could conceivably apply to a large percentage of the population and which disproportionately targets women.     

Clinical pastoral education as professional training: some entrance, curriculum and assessment implications

Clinical Pastoral Education is professional training for pastoral care. This paper compares CPE against the professional training model. While limiting the discussion to Christian pastoral care, the professional education model suggests a clarification of the trainee's theological and other entry requirements for a basic unit, a more thoughtful provision of information during CPE training, a careful attention to group membership and an appropriate integration with the theological curriculum. It also suggests more specific competency standards and more reliable, valid and objective assessment methods.     

The lateralized stroop: a meta-analysis and its implications for models of semantic processing

The prevailing theory in the literature concerning the lateralization of Stroop effects involves a speed of processing account (see ). Because the left hemisphere (LH) demonstrates an overall advantage relative to the right hemisphere (RH) on most verbal tasks, interference effects are hypothesized to be greater in the LH than in the RH. Inspection of the data, however, reveals that many studies find no difference in magnitude of Stroop interference between the hemispheres. Given findings within the lateralized semantic priming literature, this is not surprising. A meta-analysis on a subset of lateralized Stroop experiments was conducted to determine whether or not the LH produces significantly more interference than the RH in this paradigm. Based on a number of exclusionary criteria, a total of 19 different studies were included, representing a potential 26 effect size estimates of differential interference. The effect size representing interference using congruent conditions as the baseline (d+=.06) reveals that there is no significant difference between the hemispheres in magnitude of the Stroop interference effect. The LH interference effect was d+=.73, which is significant. Likewise, the RH interference effect, d+=.67, was significant. In summary, while there was no significant difference between the hemispheres, each hemisphere, when examined independently, did exhibit significant within hemisphere interference effects. These findings are presented in light of the lateralized semantic priming literature.     

Family therapy and anthropology: a case for emotions

The idea that emotions are socially constructed challenges traditional views in both family therapy and anthropology and also opens the possibility for further collaboration. This paper reviews the traditional position of orthodox family therapy theory with respect to motivation and emotions. It argues that a social constructionist position can build on original family therapy insights about the connectedness of family members and offer a view which transcends mind-body dualism. Bateson's concept of ethos is seen as a forerunner of this view and, with the increasing interest in meaning and cross-cultural issues, Bateson's ideas deserve renewed attention. Implications of a social constructionist view of emotions for family therapists are outlined.     

The notion of the moral: the relation between virtue ethics and virtue epistemology

In this paper I argue that virtue ethics should be understood as a form of ethics which integrates various domains of the practical in relation to which virtues are excellences. To argue this it is necessary to distinguish two senses of the “moral”: the broad sense which integrates the domains of the practical and a narrow classificatory sense. Virtue ethics, understood as above, believes that all genuine virtue should be understood as what I call virtues proper. To possess a virtue proper (such as an excellent disposition of open-mindedness, an epistemic virtue) is to possess a disposition of overall excellence in relation to the sphere or field of the virtue (being open to the opinions of others). Overall excellence in turn involves excellence in integrating to a sufficient degree, standards of excellence in all relevant practical domains. Epistemic virtues, sporting virtues, moral virtues, and so on are all virtues proper. In particular it is impossible for an epistemic virtue to be a moral (narrow sense) vice.     

"谦"的德性传统及其当代命运

The virtue of qian, one of the traditional Chinese virtues, usually refers to humbleness, humility and modesty. Ancient thinkers in China not only expounded on the meaning and basis of qian, but also argued for its value. It was usually thought that the value of qian rested in its ability to cultivate virtue, promote scholarship, get along with people, and maintain enterprises. Ancient thinkers in China placed so much emphasis on the virtue of qian that there was a tendency to overemphasize qian. There is also a tradition of qian in the West, which is less likely to become excessive compared to that in the East. Presently, Chinese society is transitioning into a modern society, but the virtue of qian still has value. While continuing to embrace its traditional essence, we should adopt useful aspects from the Western concept of qian to reshape the virtue of qian so that it conforms to modern Chinese society. Translated by Huang Deyuan from Daode Yu Wenming 뗀뗂폫컄쏷 (Morality and Civilization), 2007, (3): 18–24     

Putting knowledge in its place: virtue, value, and the internalism/externalism debate

Traditionally, the debate between epistemological internalists and externalists has centered on the value of knowledge and its justification. A ??value pluralist,?? virtue-theoretic approach to epistemology allows us to accept what I shall call the ??insight of externalism?? while still acknowledging the importance of internalists?? insistence on the value of reflection. Intellectual virtue can function as the unifying consideration in a study of a host of epistemic values, including understanding, wisdom, and what I call ??articulate reflection.?? Each of these epistemic values is a good internal to inquiry. Thus, an inquiry-based conception of virtue is particularly well suited to help us account for a wide variety of epistemic goods, without reducing the value of those many goods to their contribution to the value of knowledge. Moreover, an inquiry-based conception of virtue can function as the unifying consideration in a general study of value, the scope of which is not restricted to epistemic value.