Radical Grace

How Belief in a Benevolent God Benefits Our Health

Inbunden, Engelska, 2007

869 kr

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The esteemed editor who brought us the acclaimed set The Destructive Power of Religion, turns his attention here to a similarly powerful, yet positive side of religion: how our concept of God can fuel healthy body and mind. This book contends that all health—mental and physical—is shaped, for good or ill, by our spiritual, theological, and psychological notions about the nature of God, and by the way we form an outlook on life as a result of these notions. Across history, a large percentage of people have believed that God is a threat, an attitude Ellens describes as sick gods created through pathological beliefs, or sick gods that make sick people. But Ellens grounds his brighter perspective in this text on God as a source of unconditional grace and goodwill, then illuminates the effect this perspective has on people who have incorporated it into their minds and lives.Ellens shows that people with firm faith in God's radical grace are psychologically strong and healthy. His offering of psychology interfacing with theology is reminiscent of Carl Rogers' teaching on unconditional positive regard and its ability to heal suffering persons. All readers, he explains, can benefit by this understanding that can inspire spiritual and psychological healing whether for ourselves, family, friends, or clients in counseling or therapy.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2007-10-30
Mått156 x 235 x 18 mm
Vikt539 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
SeriePsychology, Religion, and Spirituality
Antal sidor248
FörlagBloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN9780313348167

Tillhör följande kategorier

Religion: allmänt inom Filosofi och religion
Psykologi inom Psykologi och pedagogik

J. Harold Ellens is Philosophy and Psychology Professor Emeritus, Presbyterian Pastor and Theologian Emeritus, Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of The Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Executive Director Emeritus of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies, and a retired US Army Colonel. He is Series Editor for the Praeger series in Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality. Among his 164 authored or edited volumes published are The Destructive Power of Religion, 4 volumes (Praeger, 2004 and condensed edition, 2007), Sex in the Bible (Praeger, 2006), and Psychology and the Bible, 4 volumes (Praeger, 2004).

Trained as a Bible scholar, having served as a Protestant military chaplain until retirement, and by now widely published, Ellens writes as a well-seasoned Christian theologian. His specialty is pastoral psychology and particularly the examination of its source material as found in religious and psychological theories about the nature of the person. From the point of view that he espouses and that he terms psychotheology, one's belief in a benevolent God rather than just any kind of God is likely to be a significant factor in maintaining a person's physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Therefore, assumptions about the nature of God, along with appropriate models of human nature, go far toward determining one's ability to develop a healthy outlook and a healthful life. This book is the result of many years of service and reflection. Written in a clear and accessible style, it recalls earlier books by influential pioneers in the field such as James Dittes, Seward Hiltner, and Wayne Oates. It would be an ideal textbook or supplemental resource on faith and health for courses in church-affiliated colleges and Christian theological seminaries. Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through graduate students, general readers, and practitioners.