Orthodox Christian Psychotherapy
Encyclopedia
Orthodox Christian psychotherapy is a term that refers to the cure of the whole human being, body and soul. With its methods man can cope successfully with his thoughts and thus solve his problems. It does not refer to specific cases of people suffering from psychological problems or neuroses but it rather refers to all people.
The inspiration for these works came largely from the thought of Protopresbyter John Romanides who, though not employing the term “Orthodox psychotherapy,” did frequently speak of the Church as a spiritual hospital functioning to cure spiritual illness. However the concept of spiritual medicine was known to Eastern Orthodox literature
from the beginning of its existence, and is mentioned not only by Metropolitan Hierotheos but also by many contemporary elders such as Elder Porfyrios. After the initial introduction of the term by Metropolitan Hierotheos, many more books were written on this subject.
It is even suggested that if Christianity were to appear for the first time in our era, it would have taken the form of a therapeutic institution ... to reinstate and restore the function of man as a psychosomatic being.
.
In Eastern Christianity consciousness as the center, heart or spirit of the person is often referred to as the Nous
. Therefore Orthodox Christianity is healing or therapeutic and works in each individual to overcome their passions (i.e. evil thoughts, pasts, addictions). Nous or personal consciousness can also be loosely translated as the whole experience of conscious
reality both internal (dianoia and intuitive
) and external (sensory perception). Nous as the eye of the whole person (called soul). It is the nous that is both logical and intuitive understanding.
Consciousness or the human spirit (noetic) as energy of the soul, therefore the nous is called the "eye of the heart or soul".
Along with the darkening of the Nous, Death
entered into the person's being and caused many problems — anthropological, social, and even ecological
.
In the tragedy of his fall man maintained the image of God
within him but lost completely the likeness of Him, since his communion with God was disrupted. However the Incarnation
of Christ
and the work of the Church both aim at enabling the person to attain the likeness of God, that is, to re-establish communion with God. By adhering to Orthodox therapeutic treatment as conceived by the Holy Fathers of the Church, Man can cope successfully with his thoughts and thus solve his problems completely and comprehensively. All this therapeutic treatment or psychotherapy
is closely connected with the neptic
tradition of the Church and its hesychastic
life, as it is preserved in the texts of the Philokalia
, in the works of the Fathers of the Church and notably in the teaching of St. Gregory Palamas
. In Eastern Orthodox tradition
it is considered that the neptic
and hesychastic
life is the same life that one sees in the life of the Prophets
and the Apostles, as described precisely in the texts of the Holy Scriptures. Eastern Christianity seeks to restore mankind to his pre-separation from God or Paradise condition of full communion with the Creator and Trinity. Since in the East, it was man's nous that was damaged by Adam's sin and fall and it was this damaged consciousness that each human by birth now receives.
Spiritual medicine is also mentioned in the Canon CII of the Quinisext Ecumenical Council
.
History and Origin
The term Orthodox Psychotherapy has gained considerable currency in the English-speaking Orthodox Christian world over the course of the past fifteen years. It was coined by Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos, who introduced it in his works The Illness and Cure of the Soul in the Orthodox Tradition (English translation, 1993) and Orthodox Psychotherapy: The Science of the Fathers (English translation, 1994). (The former work is intended as a supplement to the latter.)The inspiration for these works came largely from the thought of Protopresbyter John Romanides who, though not employing the term “Orthodox psychotherapy,” did frequently speak of the Church as a spiritual hospital functioning to cure spiritual illness. However the concept of spiritual medicine was known to Eastern Orthodox literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
from the beginning of its existence, and is mentioned not only by Metropolitan Hierotheos but also by many contemporary elders such as Elder Porfyrios. After the initial introduction of the term by Metropolitan Hierotheos, many more books were written on this subject.
It is even suggested that if Christianity were to appear for the first time in our era, it would have taken the form of a therapeutic institution ... to reinstate and restore the function of man as a psychosomatic being.
Orthodox Psychotherapy according to Eastern Orthodox Tradition
According to Orthodox tradition after Adam's Fall, Man became ill; his intellect (called “nous”, the `eye of the heart') was darkened and lost communion with GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
.
In Eastern Christianity consciousness as the center, heart or spirit of the person is often referred to as the Nous
Nous
Nous , also called intellect or intelligence, is a philosophical term for the faculty of the human mind which is described in classical philosophy as necessary for understanding what is true or real, very close in meaning to intuition...
. Therefore Orthodox Christianity is healing or therapeutic and works in each individual to overcome their passions (i.e. evil thoughts, pasts, addictions). Nous or personal consciousness can also be loosely translated as the whole experience of conscious
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
reality both internal (dianoia and intuitive
Intuition (knowledge)
Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason. "The word 'intuition' comes from the Latin word 'intueri', which is often roughly translated as meaning 'to look inside'’ or 'to contemplate'." Intuition provides us with beliefs that we cannot necessarily justify...
) and external (sensory perception). Nous as the eye of the whole person (called soul). It is the nous that is both logical and intuitive understanding.
Consciousness or the human spirit (noetic) as energy of the soul, therefore the nous is called the "eye of the heart or soul".
Along with the darkening of the Nous, Death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
entered into the person's being and caused many problems — anthropological, social, and even ecological
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
.
In the tragedy of his fall man maintained the image of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
within him but lost completely the likeness of Him, since his communion with God was disrupted. However the Incarnation
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
and the work of the Church both aim at enabling the person to attain the likeness of God, that is, to re-establish communion with God. By adhering to Orthodox therapeutic treatment as conceived by the Holy Fathers of the Church, Man can cope successfully with his thoughts and thus solve his problems completely and comprehensively. All this therapeutic treatment or psychotherapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
is closely connected with the neptic
Nepsis
Nepsis is an important idea in Orthodox Christian mystical theology. Nepsis is a state of watchfulness or sobriety that forms one dimension of the state of contemplative prayer...
tradition of the Church and its hesychastic
Hesychasm
Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Byzantine Rite, practised by the Hesychast Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches,...
life, as it is preserved in the texts of the Philokalia
Philokalia
The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters of the Eastern Orthodox hesychast tradition. They were originally written for the guidance and instruction of monks in "the practise of the contemplative life". The collection was compiled in...
, in the works of the Fathers of the Church and notably in the teaching of St. Gregory Palamas
Gregory Palamas
Gregory Palamas was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece and later the Archbishop of Thessaloniki known as a preeminent theologian of Hesychasm. The teachings embodied in his writings defending Hesychasm against the attack of Barlaam are sometimes referred to as Palamism, his followers as Palamites...
. In Eastern Orthodox tradition
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
it is considered that the neptic
Nepsis
Nepsis is an important idea in Orthodox Christian mystical theology. Nepsis is a state of watchfulness or sobriety that forms one dimension of the state of contemplative prayer...
and hesychastic
Hesychasm
Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Byzantine Rite, practised by the Hesychast Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches,...
life is the same life that one sees in the life of the Prophets
Prophets
Prophets may refer to:* High Prophets , The Covenant leaders in Halo 2* Prophets , one of the five Ascension Gift Ministries* LDS Prophets, modern day Prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
and the Apostles, as described precisely in the texts of the Holy Scriptures. Eastern Christianity seeks to restore mankind to his pre-separation from God or Paradise condition of full communion with the Creator and Trinity. Since in the East, it was man's nous that was damaged by Adam's sin and fall and it was this damaged consciousness that each human by birth now receives.
Spiritual medicine is also mentioned in the Canon CII of the Quinisext Ecumenical Council
Ecumenical council
An ecumenical council is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice....
.
External links
- ORTHODOX PSYCHOTHERAPY by Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos
- Eastern Orthodox Psychotherapy and Secular Therapeutic Techniques - F.C.Strategopoulos
- Various relative articles
- The impact of Orthodox Christian neptic-psychotherapeutic interventions on self-reported depressive symptomatology and comorbid anxiety