That Quote I Read in Class Today

The glory of provocative quotes is that they stick in your mind. And maybe because I read it, it has stayed with me for the rest of the day. Here is the quote:

• “A psychotherapy which suggested that the knowledge that we gain of ourselves in the psychotherapeutic relationship is itself what makes us whole human beings would perhaps be a genuine Gnosticism in a contemporary form. It would have substituted self-knowledge for God’s redemptive initiative in Christ.” (Bergquist in Heresies and How to Avoid Them, 111-112)

Here is what I think... I think that the evangelical or even just the Western Church in general has gnostic tendencies especially in the latter half of the 20th century (as we were all growing up in the church--or in the culture at large). This has resulted in a church culture that undervalues the psychological health (and even, at times, the physical health) of its members to such a degree that to appear 'spiritual' is to trump any kind of psychological maturity. Another way to say this is that psychological health--and along with that relational health, etc.--has often been thought to be a 'spiritual' weakness or even disease. Spirituality has often been separated from relation maturity, relational honesty and relational accountability, thus make our discipleship models very gnostic.

If you pray this prayer, you sins will be forgiven and forgotten (rather than forgiven and then redeemed through maturity). If you just memorize these verses, you will become spiritually mature (rather than dealing with the crap as you memorize those verses).

What I am trying to say is that it can happen that the material reality of our lives can be undermined and separated from our 'spiritual lives' as if the whole of our everyday existence is not a part of our spiritual life. That, in my estimation, is gnostic.

All in all, we need a balanced model. And that is why you are in this class and at this school. What is your model of the spiritual life and how does it incorporate psychological and relational health?

Peace,

Chelle