"Philosophical counselling in a pastoral hermeneutics of care"

Date
2015-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Existential crises are now intertwined with the paradigmatic framework and noetic system of people’s lives in their search for meaning, significance and value. In this respect, a close connection exists between thought processes and values. The core issue in the research is to unlock the hermeneutical connection between thinking patterns, philosophical systems, and meaning structures at the level of noetic understanding. The basic hypothesis is that spiritual healing is realized within the qualitative interaction between systemic-hermeneutic networks and the attempt to determine how certain thinking patterns within frameworks, especially schemas of interpretation, the behaviour and attitudes of people regarding the meaning of life is determined. In this regard philosophical counselling in pastoral care can play a crucial therapeutic role. Philosophical counselling differs from Rational Emotive Therapy in the sense that meaning perception comprises more than rational thought categories (cognition) with the possible pathology of irrational thoughts. Sense meaning refers to attitudes as determined by idea-moderate wisdom systems such as embedded in cultural convention, attitudes and value systems that motivate behaviour, and a form of calling and commitment determined by existential pathos. The connection between religious thought and the dimension of God-images must be investigated. In this regard the research works with the basic presupposition that philosophical counselling can play a supportive role in a pastoral diagnosis that focuses on distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate God-images. It is to examine how ideas about God’s involvement in human suffering (theodicy question) processes suffering within existential realities. Particular attention is given to how P. Raabe’s four-stage model of philosophical counselling can play a role in pastoral care and the making of pastoral diagnosis. Therefore, to look at the connection between faith, hope and meaning. We also look at the dynamics between noetic philosophy, life convictions, life perspectives and processes of conceptualization in a pastoral epistemology. In this respect the research joins the classical connection between wisdom and insight with the tradition of cura animarum (soul care) and the current approach in pastoral theology to enlarge cura animarum with cura vitae (the healing of life).
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Eksistensiële krisisse is nou verweef met die paradigmatiese raamwerk en noetiese verwysingsisteem van mense se lewensoortuigings in hul soeke na na sin, betekenis en waarde. In hierdie opsig bestaan daar ‘n noue verband tussen denkprosesse en waardes. Die kernvraagstuk in die navorsing is om die hermeneutiese verband tussen denkpatrone, filosofiese stelsels en betekenisontsluiting op die vlak van noetiese verstaan te ontsluit. Die basiese hipotese is dat spirituele heling gerealiseer word binne die kwalitatiese interaksie tussen sistemies-hermeneutiee netwerke en die poging om vas te stel hoe dat bepaalde patrone van denkraamwerke, en veral skemas van interpretasie, menselike gedrag en houdings ten opsigte van lewensin bepaal. In hier die verband kan filosofiese berading in pastorale sorg ‘n beslissende terapeutiese rol speel. Filosofiese berading verskil van Rasioneel Emotiewe Terapie in die sin dat dat betekenis/sin meer omvattend is as rasionele denkkategorieë (kognisises) met die moontlike patologie van irrasionele gedagtes. Sin verwys na houdings soos bepaal word deur idee-matige wysheidsisteme soos ingebed in kulturle konvensies, gesindhede en waardestelsels wat gedrag motiveer en ‘n vorm van roeping en toewyding (eksistensiële patos) profileer. Die konneksie tussen religieuse denke en die dimensie van Godsvoorstellinge word ondersoek. In dié verband werk die navorsing met die basiese voorveronderstelling dat filosofiese berading ‘n ondersteunende rol kan speel in ‘n pastorale diagnose wat daarop fokus om tussen toepaslike en ontoepaslike Godsvoorstellinge te onderskei. Dit wil veral kyk na hoe idees oor God se betrokkenheid by menslike lyding (teodiseevraagstuk) die verwerking van lyding binne eksistensiële realiteite bepaal. Daar word veral andag gegee aan hoe P. Raabe se vier fasemodel van filososfiese berading ‘n rol kan speel in pastorale versorging en die maak van pastorale diagnoses. Daarom dat gekyk word na die verband: geloof, hoop en singewing. Daar word ook gekyk na die dinamika tussen noeties-filosofiese lewensoortuigings/lewensperspektiewe en prosesse van konseptualisering in ‘n pastorale epistemologie. In dié opsig sluit die navorsing aan by die klassieke verband tussen wysheid en insig binne die tradisie van cura animarum en die hedendaagse poging in pastorale teologie om cura animarum te verruim met cura vitae (die heling van lewe).
Description
Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
Keywords
Pastoral counselling, Pastoral care, UCTD
Citation