Overview

What is at the root of the problem of humanity? Is it pride or lack of self-esteem?Do we love ourselves too much or too little?The debate about the human condition has often been framed this way in both theological and psychological circles. Convictions about preaching, teaching, marriage and child rearing, as well as politics, social welfare, business management and the helping professions, more often than not, fall on one side or the other of this divide. With theological and psychological insight Terry D. Cooper provides trenchant analysis of this centuries-long debate and leads us beyond the usual impasse.Humanistic psychology has often regarded traditional Christianity as its archrival in assessing the human condition. Cooper demonstrates how the Christian doctrine of a sinful and fallen humanity sheds light on the human condition which exhibits both pride and self-denigration. Bringing theological insights ranging from Augustine and John Calvin to Reinhold Niebuhr together with the psychological theories of Freud, Jung, Carl Rogers, Gerald May and Karen Horney, Cooper guides readers through the maze of competing claims to a resolution which affirms Christian conviction while critically engaging modern psychological theory. A model of the proper integration of Christian theology and the discipline of psychology, Sin, Pride Self-Acceptance will be of special help to students and practitioners of psychology, pastoral counseling and clinical psychology.

Full Product Details

Author:   Terry D. Cooper
Publisher:   IVP Academic
Imprint:   IVP Academic
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.40cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.272kg
ISBN:  

9780830827282

ISBN 10:   0830827285
Pages:   190
Publication Date:   05 June 2003
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

"Introduction The Direction of This Book 1. Pride and Self-Contempt Psychological Critics of the ""Low Self-Esteem"" Argument Social Critiques of Self-Centeredness Rogers and Niebuhr as Representatives of the Debate Reenactment of the Pelagian Controversy The Larger Issue: Sin and Self-Acceptance 2. Pride As the Primary Problem Anxiety and Pride: Niebuhrian Theological Psychology Differences with Augustine Niebuhr and Freud: The Deceptive Nature of Sin The Primacy of Pride Warning About Equating Narcissism with Niebuhrian Pride Summary 3. Pride, Sensuality and Addiction Sensuality, Concupiscence and Addiction: From Augustine to Gerald May Back to the Pride Versus Self-Contempt Conflict But Is Pride the Problem for Everyone? 4. Pride and Self-Loss Pride and Self-Loss: Socialized to Sin Differently? Social Versus Individual Sin Conclusion 5. Self-Acceptance and Humanisstic Psychology The ""Gospel"" of Humanistic Psychology: The Actualizing Tendency ""Natural Goodness"": The Organismic Valuing Process Incongruence and the Emergence of the Undervalued Self Reclaiming the Despised Self ""Theologizing"" Carl Rogers? Pride and Low Self-Esteem Intertwined? 6. Pride and Self-Hate: Two Sides of the Same Coin? Basic Anxiety Three Neurotic Trends to Alleviate Anxiety Common Bonds in All Three Movements The Idealized Self Three Responses to the Idealized Self Pride and Self-Hate The ""Search for Glory"" Neurotic Claims and Entitlement Genuine Self-Esteem and Neurotic Pride Horney's Contribution to the Pride Versus Self-Contempt Debate 7. Anxiety, Sin and Self-Understanding Integrating the Pride and Self-Contempt Perspectives Back to Niebuhr and Feminist Understandings of Sin Pride and Distrust Pride and Sensuality: A Confusion of Terms? ""Manly"" and ""Womanly"" Sin Equality of Sin, Inequality of Guilt Anxiety and Its Relationship to Sin Sinning Out of Strength as Well as Weakness Conclusion Select Bibliography Author Index Subject Index"

Reviews

tradition and with modern psychology. Well researched and clearly written, this book will challenge readers to think deeply about their own self-understanding as part of the spiritual task of knowing and abiding in God. --Trey Buchanan, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, Wheaton College

Author Information

Terry D. Cooper (Ed.D., human development counseling, Vanderbilt University; Ph.D., theology and psychotherapy, St. Louis University) is professor of psychology at St. Louis Community College--Meramec and adjunct professor of religious studies at Webster University. He is the author of Sin, Pride Self-Acceptance.

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