Spiritual Care and Logotherapy

Authors

  • Heye Heyen University Faculty for Protestant Theology, Brussels, Belgium
  • Evert Jonker Protestant Theological University Groningen, The Netherlands
  • Martin Neal Walton Protestant Theological University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v4i1.20578

Keywords:

chaplaincy, logotherapy, meaning, self-transcendence, spiritual care

Abstract

Chaplaincy and logotherapy seem related in several ways (conversational accompaniment, client centredness, confrontation of suffering, attention to meaning), but their practitioners seem little aware of each other. The authors clarify the different roles of chaplain and therapist by referring to Frankl’s distinction between salvation and healing of the soul. “Salvation” is reinterpreted as relationship to God. Concern is expressed on the instrumentalization of religion in coping. Ironically, logotherapy challenges chaplaincy to reconsider the question of truth and differentiation of values and chaplaincy challenges logotherapists to focus on acceptance of clients in a manner that can question some logotherapeutic dogmas.

Author Biographies

  • Heye Heyen, University Faculty for Protestant Theology, Brussels, Belgium

    Heye Heyen is Professor of Practical Theology at the University Faculty for Protestant Theology, Brussels.

  • Evert Jonker, Protestant Theological University Groningen, The Netherlands

    Evert Jonker is (retired) Professor of Practical Theology at the Protestant Theological University, Groningen.

  • Martin Neal Walton, Protestant Theological University

    Martin Neal Walton is Professor of Spiritual Care & Chaplaincy Studies, in the Department of Practical Theology, Protestant Theological University, The Netherlands.

References

Allport, G. W. (1959) The Individual and His Religion: a Psychological Interpretation. New York: Macmillan.

Dörr, A. (1992) “Religiosität und Depression” [“Religion and Depression”]. In Religions­psychologie, ed. E. Schmitz. Göttingen/Bern/Toronto/Seattle: Hogrefe.

Frankl, V. E. (1972a) Der Mensch auf der Suche nach Sinn. Freiburg: Herder. [Published in English as: Man’s Search for Meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2006].

—(1972b) Der Wille zum Sinn. Bern/Stuttgart/Wien: Huber. [Published in English as: The Will to Meaning. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988].

—(1975a) Ärztliche Seelsorge. München: Herder (repr. 8th edn). [Published in English as: The Doctor and the Soul. From Psychotherapy to Logotherapy. London: Souvenir Press 1969].

—(1975b) Theorie und Therapie der Neurosen [Theory and Therapy of Neuroses]. München/Basel: Reinhardt.

—(1979) Der unbewußte Gott. Psychotherapie und Religion [The Unconscious God. Psychotherapy and Religion]. München: Kösel (5th edn). [Published in English as Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning, New York: Perseus, 1997].

—(1990) Der Mensch vor der Frage nach dem Sinn. Eine Auswahl aus dem Gesamtwerk [Man Facing the Question of Meaning]. München/Zürich: Piper (8th edn). [Published in English as: The Unheard Cry for Meaning. Psychotherapy and Humanism. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011].

—(1991) Das Leiden am sinnlosen Leben [Suffering from a Meaningless Life]. Freiburg: Herder (repr.).

Fried, E. (2004) Es ist was es ist. Liebesgedichte, Angstgedichte, Zorngedichte [It Is What It Is. Poems of Love, Fear and Anger]. Berlin: Wagenbach (11th edn).

Heyen, H. (1998) “Logotherapie, Theologie und Pastoralpsychologie. Zum Tode Viktor E. Frankls” [‘Logotherapy, Theology and Pastoral Psychology. On the Occasion of the Death of Viktor E. Frankl’].Wege zum Menschen 50: 242–46.

Josuttis, M. (1995). Gesetz und Evangelium in der Predigtarbeit [Law and Gospel in the Work of Preaching]. Gütersloh: Chr. Kaiser/Gütersloher Verlagshaus.

Kaldenbach (2013) www.matthias-kaldenbach.de/fried.htm (last accessed March 11, 2013).

Klessmann, M. (2008) Seelsorge. Begleitung, Begegnung, Lebensdeutung im Horizont des christlichen Glaubens. Ein Lehrbuch [Pastoral Care. Accompaniment. Encounter and the Interpretation of Life within the Horizon of Christian Faith]. Neukirchen–Vluyn: Neukirchener.

Lukas E. (1984) Auch dein Leben hat Sinn. Logotherapeutische Wege zur Gesundung [Your Life has Meaning, Too. Logotherapeutic Paths to Recovery]. München: (Herder TB) (2. Aufl.).

—(2001) Auf den Stufen des Lebens [On the Steps of Life]. Gütersloh (Quell/Gütersloher Verlagshaus).

Mowat, H., and J. Swinton (2005) What Do Chaplains Do? The Role of the Chaplain in Meeting the Spiritual Needs of Patients. Aberdeen: University of Aberdeen, Report No. CSHD/MR001.

Pargament, K. I. (1997) The Psychology of Religion and Coping. Theory, Research, Practice. New York/London: The Guilford Press.

—(2011) Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy. Understanding and Addressing the Sacred. New York/London: The Guilford Press.

Scheler, M. (1983) Die Stellung des Menschen im Kosmos [The Place of Humankind in the Cosmos]. München: Francke (10th edn).

Schilderman, J. B. A. M. (2006) “Religie en zorg in het publieke domein”. In Geloven in het publieke domein. Verkenning van een dubbele transformatie, ed. W. B. H. J. van de Donk, A. P. Jonkers, G. J. Kronjee and R. J. J. M. Plum, 395–416. [“Religion and Care in the Public Domain”. In: Believing in the Public Domain. Exploration of a Dubble Transformation’]. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

Schleiermacher, F. (2002) Über die Religion. Reden an die Gebildeten unter ihren Verächtern, ed. R. Otto. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht (8th edn). [Published in English as: On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers, ed. R. Crouter (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1988)]

Smeets, W. (2006) Spiritual Care in a Hospital Setting. An Empirical-Theological Exploration. Leiden: Brill.

Swift, C. (2014) Hospital Chaplaincy in the Twenty-first Century. The Crisis of Spiritual Care on the NHS. Surrey: Ashgate (2nd edn).

Tweedie, D. F. (1963) The Christian and the Couch. An Introduction to Christian Logotherapy. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/13103-000

Tyrrell, B. J. (1981) Christotherapy. Healing Through Enlightenment. New York: The Seabury Press.

VandeCreek, L., and L. Burton, eds (2001) Professional Chaplaincy. Its Role and Importance in Healthcare. The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.

Zaiser, R. (2004) Karl Rahners Begriff des “übernatürlichen Existentials” im Lichte von Viktor E. Frankls These vom “unbewussten Gott” [Karl Rahner’s Concept of “Supernatural Existentials” in Light of Viktor E. Frankl’s Hypothesis on the “Unconcious God”]. Hamburg: Kovac.

Zock, H. (2008) “The Split Professional Identity of the Chaplain as a Spiritual Caregiver in Contemporary Dutch Health Care: Are There Implications for the United States?” Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 62/1-2: 137–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/154230500806200113

Published

2016-06-16

How to Cite

Heyen, H., Jonker, E., & Walton, M. (2016). Spiritual Care and Logotherapy. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 4(1), 35-50. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v4i1.20578

Most read articles by the same author(s)