Orthodox psychotherapy (The science of the Fathers)
Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos translated by Esther Williams
“Much is being said today about psychological problems. I believe that the so-called psychological problems are mainly problems of thoughts, a darkened mind, and an impure heart. The impure heart as described by the Fathers, the dark and gloomy mind and impure thoughts are the source of all the so-called psychological problems. When a man is inwardly healed, when he has discovered the place of his heart, when he has purified the noetic part of his soul and freed his intelligence, he has no psychological problems. He lives in the blessed and undisturbed peace of Christ.” —“Introduction”
CONTENTS
Translator’s Note Preface to the English edition Author’s Prologue Introduction 1. Orthodoxy as a therapeutic science 1. What Christianity is 2. Theology as a Therapeutic Science 3. What Therapy is 4. Method of Therapy - Therapeutic Treatment How then is the soul cured? 2. The orthodox therapist 1. Prerequisites for the role of priest therapist The value of the priesthood The calling and ordaining of the Apostles Basic prerequisites for ordination The three degrees of priesthood 2. Rekindling the Spiritual Gift Basic qualities of priest-therapists 3. Spiritual Priesthood 4. The search for Therapists 3. Orthodox psychotherapy 1. The Soul (‘Psyche’) What the soul is Sickness and dying of the soul Therapy of the soul 2. Interrelations of soul, nous, heart and mind Nous and soul Nous and heart Nous and reason Nous and attention 3. Nous, heart and thoughts a) The nous The natural life of the nous Sickness of the nous Healing of the nous b) The Heart What the heart is Characterisations of the heart Sickness of the heart Curing of the heart c) Intelligence (logiki) and thoughts (logismoi) I. Intelligence II. Thoughts - Logismoi What logismoi are The cause of evil thoughts Consequences of evil thoughts Curing of evil thoughts 4. Orthodox Pathology 1. What the Passions are 2. Types of Passions and their Development 3. Cure of the Passions 4. Dispassion 5. Hesychia as a Method of Healing 1. Hesychia (Stillness) 2. Hesychasm 3. Anti-hesychasm 6. Orthodox Epistemology 1. The three kinds of knowledge according to St. Isaac the Syrian 2. Knowledge of God according to St. Gregory Palamas Prayers Index of persons Index of subjects
Item Number: BKN422 Publication data: Levadia, Greece: Birth of the Theotokos Monastery, 2006 Format: softcover Number of pages: 380 Dimensions (l × w × h): 23.5 cm × 16.1 cm × 2.5 cm ISBN: 960‒7070‒27‒5
