Between Two Languages

Many poimenic studies concern the interaction between a theological and a psychological anthropology. What characterizes interpersonal religious communication at the borderline between Christian tradition and personal development? What is the relationship between pastoral care and theology? How can old rituals play a role in the lives of people who are not conversant with these rituals? What is the relationship between working effectively and not anticipating grace? What does "human" mean in that context, and how do we define the concept of "health"? What is the relationship between theological and psychological discourse? In this book these questions play a role in an attempt to elucidate the relationship between theological and psychological discourse.The relationship between the language of theology and that of psychology is a major problem in poimenics. Because these languages are generally separated by those involved in pastoral care, the fields of pastoral counseling and spiritual direction have grown apart. During the last decade, there has been a development in the reflection on function and usage of the two languages in interpersonal religious communication. Everywhere spiritual movements have come into being, each with its own language and a multitude of methods for spiritual growth. Various old sources have been rediscovered, such as the Tibetan Book of the Dead and the writings of Hildegard von Bingen. In the more recent poimenic literature, attention for spiritual matters is also clearly present.