E15 The depth psychology of Søren Kierkegaard with Dr. C. Stephen Evans

If there would be a Christian type of depth psychology, a part of its foundation would most likely be founded on the insights about the human self articulated by Danish Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855).
Our guest in this episode of the podcast Psychology & The Cross, Professor C. Stephen Evans, has not only imagined but also articulated important parts of the foundations of such a Christian psychology of depth in his book Søren Kierkegaard’s Christian psychology - Insights for counseling and pastoral care.
In this episode, Dr. Evans helps us outline Kierkegaard’s view of the human self and his understanding of anxiety, despair, and self-deception's role in psychological development. He helps us understand how conscience and sin relate to individual psychology in Kierkegaard's psychology. Perhaps most importantly, he shows us how love and forgiveness are the foundations of a Kierkegaardian practice of depth psychology.
Dr. Evans is a world-leading expert on Søren Kierkegaard. He is a Professor of University Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Baylor University, Waco, Texas. A professorial research fellow at the Institute for Ethics and Society at the University of Notre Dame in Sydney, Australia. He has also published extensively on subjects including philosophy of religion and the relationship of psychology and Christianity. His latest book is Kierkegaard and spirituality: Accountability as the Meaning of Human Existence (Kierkegaard as a Christian thinker).
Music played in this episode is licensed under creativecommons.org: Ketsa - No light without darkness, Essence and Reborn.
#kierkegaard #psychoanalysis #christian

[@martinrea8548]

Thank you for a wonderfully stimulating conversation on this man's thinking. Amazing to think he achieved so much intellectually at such a young age.

[@MustafaKasim-pf4pj]

Thank you. This was so insightful. ❤

[@joshua_finch]

Good stuff. But stoics weren't against emotion like he said

[@matswinther8991]

Evans clearly knows his subject. We are so privileged today that there are so many competent third-party authors that investigate difficult authors for us. (Kierkegaard is difficult!) Another thinker who analyses the human subject in terms of self-deceit is Blaise Pascal (1623-1662). He adds to Augustine's concept of 'superbia' (pride) the term 'paresse', which means spiritual apathy and indolence. Regarding the ego, Jung explains that it must grow by the integration of the unconscious. To Pascal, however, the ego ('moi') is the heart of the problem, despite the fact that it is required for the adaptation to a fallen world. The ego is essentially a falsehood, the product of a corrupt world, whereas the only true human nature is the Christ. It seems to me, from this interview, that Kierkegaard elevates the individual in a way not compatible with Pascal's view, i.e., as something essential inside us (the authentic self). According to Pascal, to develop selfhood in the world means to beautify oneself and to strive after godlikeness, and this always gives rise to a false self (the necessary evil). In becoming individuals, well-adapted to society, we become more and more remote from God. On the other hand, were we collective beings, then nothing would work. We ought really be holy fools ("fools for Christ"); but then our society would come crashing down. So we cannot be authentic in a fallen world. I am skeptical about existentialism's concept of 'authenticity', which has much in common with Jung's view. Arguably, there is no authentic self, but the only authentic person is Jesus Christ.