Toward a Theological Understanding of Psychopathology and Therapy
Article summary proposed by the Contacts review with LLM assistance
This article examines the relationships between psychopathology, psychotherapy and Orthodox theology, seeking to define the boundaries and complementarities between these two fields. Father Basil Thermos, a priest and psychiatrist, adopts an interdisciplinary approach that articulates the contributions of modern psychiatry with the anthropological categories of the patristic tradition. The central idea is that psychological health and spiritual life, while distinct, are not opposed but are part of a coherent vision of the human person. The article thus proposes a theological framework for identifying what psychotherapy can accomplish, what falls instead within the domain of spiritual direction, and how the two can coexist without confusion or reduction of one to the other. The main contribution lies in the development of an Orthodox conceptual framework for thinking about psychological suffering and its treatment.
This article has not been translated yet — it is available in its French version here.
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