Heresies of the Heart and the Problem of the Other: A Psychoanalytic and Theological Perspective

Abstract In this article, I unmoor the concept of heresy from its religious, technical roots, using the metaphor heresies of the heart
to depict the psychological and theological dynamics of the human proclivity to rely on the idea of Truth to alienate, depersonalize,
and coerce other human beings. Using the concepts of the personal mode of existence and emotional intelligence, I define heresies
of the heart as comprising (a) those emotional attitudes that involve the transformation of insecurity and anxiety into hostility
and ha [...]
Also a Pastoral Theologian: In Pursuit of Dynamic Theology (Or: Meditations from a Recalcitrant Heart)

Abstract This essay evolved out of my effort to situate my work from the last quarter-century for an introduction to a collection of
previously published essays. After tracing divergent uses of the terms pastoral and practical theology in figures such as Seward Hiltner, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Don Browning, I turn to the task of differentiating
the two disciplines. Although pursuit of dynamic theology lies at the heart of both, I argue that their sloppy conflation
is problematic. Whereas practical theology is integrative, pa [...]
From My Center to the Center of All Things: Hourglass Care (Take 1)

Abstract In the tradition of presenting metaphors as theoretical and practical models of care, this article introduces the hourglass
as a new direction for pastoral care. Everything in this model is “a circle with a triangle in it.”
Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s11089-010-0278-7Authors
Gregory C. Ellison, Emory University Candler School of Theology Atlanta GA 30322 USA
Journal Pastoral PsychologyOnline ISSN 1573-6679Print ISSN 0031-2789
[...]
The Transition from Object Faith to Personal Faith: Transitional Subjects

Abstract In this article, I argue that human beings begin life with an object faith, which is conditioned by the personal faith of
good enough parents. The infant initially uses transitional objects as faith objects to negotiate the vicissitudes of internal and external reality. The infant’s use of transitional objects as faith objects
is dependent on and supported by the parent’s personal faith, which facilitates the infant’s belief in and experience of being
an-end-in-her/himself-as-a-me-subject-object—existential aliven [...]
Jeong-han as a Korean Culture-Bound Narcissism: Dealing with Jeong-han Through Jeong-Dynamics

Abstract This article explores a Korean culture-bound emotion called jeong-han, which shares similarities with narcissism and depression in terms of causes, formation processes, emotions, cognitions,
and neurotic sufferings. This article has three main goals: 1) to report and describe the presence and experience of jeong-han among contemporary Koreans; 2) to compare jeong-han with narcissism and depression; and 3) to suggest an effective way of dealing with jeong-han through jeong-dynamics. In order to effectively help people with j [...]
The Relationship Between Recalled Self-esteem as a Child and Current Levels of Professional Burnout among Anglican Clergy in England

Abstract This study links and tests three strands of theory concerned with explaining individual differences in levels of professional
burnout in general and among religious professionals in particular. These three strands concern the significance of current
self-esteem, recalled self-esteem as a child, and personality. Data were provided by a sample of 1,278 male stipendiary parochial
clergy working in the Church of England who completed the modified Maslach Burnout Inventory (specially designed for use among
clergy), and the sh [...]
Susan Myers-Shirk’s Helping the Good Shepherd: A Review Essay

Abstract In this essay, I review a recent book that deals with the history of pastoral counseling. I offer an overview of the book,
some criticism of the book, and a discussion of how this book relates to my own work. I argue that what Susan Myers-Shirk
has identified as a “liberal moral sensibility” among pastoral counselors seems to have certain affinities with Peter Homans’s
“mourning religion” thesis. I suggest that this thesis can shed light on the divide between liberal and conservative pastoral
counselors, a divi [...]
Introduction to the Forum on Mourning Religion

Introduction to the Forum on Mourning Religion
Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s11089-009-0272-0Authors
Nathan Carlin, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston The McGovern Center for Health, Humanities, and the Human Spirit 6431 Fannin, JJL 410 Houston TX 77030 USA
Journal Pastoral PsychologyOnline ISSN 1573-6679Print ISSN 0031-2789
[...]
Reflections on Mourning Religion: A Response to the Respondents

Abstract This article is a response to the Mourning Religion review essays published in this forum. Specifically, it addresses the respondents’ concerns as they impact three related
areas: the relationship between mourning and religion, mourning and melancholia, and mourning and the religious intellectual.
Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s11089-009-0270-2Authors
William B. Parsons, Rice University Department of Religious Studies 6100 Main St Houston TX 77005 USADiane Jonte-Pace, Rice University Department of Religious [...]