This paper provides insight into psychological and theological understanding of how unstable experiences affect an individual's life, and studies how to deal with unstable experiences from the perspective of Christian counseling theology. For a psycho...
This paper provides insight into psychological and theological understanding of how unstable experiences affect an individual's life, and studies how to deal with unstable experiences from the perspective of Christian counseling theology. For a psychological understanding of instability, we examined the instability of separation and the ambivalent tendency of infants in Mahler's theory, focusing on insecure attachment among Bolby's theories. And for theological understanding, the Christian counseling theological implications of instability experiences were examined, focusing on Tillich's existential theology and Lim Kyung-soo's Christian counseling theological method.
Bolby believes that all environments that an infant meets after birth are subject to instability, and seeks proximity toward the main caregiver who instinctively provides care and protection. Infants form an attachment to the main caregiver, and the existence and availability of the attachment object provides a basic sense of stability and forms a secure attachment by experiencing trust and support through mutual relationships with the attachment object. In the growth and development of infants, the biggest contributor to the pursuit of stability is the subject of attachment, and at the same time, the contributor to the greatest instability formation is also the subject of attachment. Since the attachment theory sees the external influence of caregivers as the biggest factor in stability and instability formation, the parenting's heteronomy is emphasized and the awareness of infant autonomy is insufficient.
Mahler gives important meaning to the psychological birth of infants, focusing on the autonomy of infants through separation and individualization. The convergence experience of autism and symbiotic stage is actually formed by heteronomy, but infants themselves are mistaken for pursuing their own autonomy. And with the development of mobility, separation begins, and in the process, infants experience their own incompetence and failure and frustration. Adequate distancing and permission of caregivers is a positive sign to move on to the next stage of development, and infants experience intermediate phenomena and emotional object homeostasis. However, focusing on infant autonomy has positive meaning, but there is a lack of awareness of heteronomy.
Tillich believes that the tension between heteronomy that absoluteizes external influences and autonomy that absoluteizes internal influences is the same as fate due to human ambiguity. Therefore, the tension between heteronomy and autonomy was not an object to be removed, synthesized, or completed, but an object to be included and transcended. Unless heteronomy and autonomy are distorted, Theonomy perspective is needed to recognize and accept its existence itself and aim for transcendence into a new self.
The Theonomy recognizes the limitations of the finite nature of humans living in unstable experiences in the limitations of time and space, and pursues a union with Christ, a new being, through the existence of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, the instability experienced in daily life needs to be approached from Theonomy perspective. The heteronomy and autonomy itself are not negative, but it becomes a problem if it is too distorted. Therefore, autonomy must grow on the trust of heteronomy, and autonomy must accept the norms and forms of heteronomy and maintain tension, not conflict. In this way, the view of Theonomy, which includes everyone as it is, should be equally applied to the Christian faith, and the same should be applied to Christian counselors. I think the view of Theonomy, which is centered on my relationship and accepted as a bigger source, is necessary for Christian counseling, not a blind faith without one's life by heteronomy, nor an autonomy to pursue a tendency to non-belief and self-centered idolization.