Patristic thoughts about psychology/philosophy

[Chad Duskin]

I am doing a paper for a graduate class and my topic is the Orthodox view of psychology. I know that psychology as an independent science did not really develop until recently (relatively speaking). I was wondering how the study of the psyche was covered by the church fathers (if at all) and how it compares with how it has developed in the West. Any sources or websites would be appreciated.

[Herman Blaydoe]

Some (IMO) absolutely essential references have to be the writings of Metropolitan Hiertheos (Vlachos) Orthodox Psychotherapy and The Illness and Cure of the Soul in the Orthodox Tradition.

Information on the first book can be found at Orthodox Psychotherapy (http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b02.en.orthodox_psychotherapy.00.htm)

[Pan. Tsiros]

there is a book
Living Orthodoxy in the Modern World
SPCK Great Britain 1996

a chapter written by Dr Jamie Moran
http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/staff/JamieMoran/index.asp

Pan. Tsiros

[John Curtis Dunn]

I would recommend reading Seth Farber's ETERNAL DAY: The Christian Alternative to Secularism and Modern psychology.

john dunn

[Melissa]

Chad,

The book, Orthodox Psychotherapy by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos, translated by Esther Williams, should help you. I think you'll find in it things that address your topic. I've found it immensely helpful in trying to understand my role as a therapist who is Orthodox, so I hope it offers illumination for your research, also.

The ISBN # is 960-7070-27-5.

There's also an organization of Orthodox mental health professionals whose acronym and website I can't rememebr right now, sorry. If I remember or if someone else knows, I'm sure it'll get posted.

Good luck! God bless your research!

In Christ,
Melissa

[Daniel Jeandet]

http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/orthodox_psychotherapy_d_avdeev_e.htm

Thats a good link in my opinion

[Effie Ganatsios]

"When the body, as consisting of many parts, becomes ill, it has the need for various medicines… The soul, on the other hand, being incorporeal, is simple and not complex, and when it becomes ill, only one medicine can help it — that is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (St. Simeon the New Theologian)."


My first choice would have to be Metropolitan Hieroth's book which has aleady been mentioned.

A series of articles written by Calil Samra

"a former member of the St. George Parish in Phoenix, Ariz., and presently Flint, Mich., is a former newspaper and magazine reporter who has written extensively on medical and psychiatric topics. He is a former executive director of the Huxley Institute, a psychiatric research foundation in New York City"

can be found at

http://www.antiochian.org/midwest/Articles/Confessions_Of_An_Unorthodox_Orthodox_Prodigal_Son NB.htm


Effie