| The prevalence of narcissism in society and its devastating effects on the quality of human relationships is the motivation for undertaking the study of narcissism in this dissertation. Narcissism, in fact, threatens the very core of Christian faith and practice. Moreover, the paradoxical nature of narcissism begs for deeper reflection because the widespread response, in which people are merely told not to be self-centered but to orient themselves toward loving others, fails to address the complexity involved.;The thesis of this dissertation is: Karl Barth's understanding of relationality as human essence can be shown to be analogically related to Heinz Kohut's understanding of narcissistic phenomena and their healing. This analogical relationship is exhibited in six aspects of relationality: relational, dynamic, wholistic, unilateral, mutual, and doxological. The concept of the Relational Self, as developed in the interdisciplinary dialogue between Barth and Kohut, suggests a new way of envisioning pastoral theology and pastoral care for persons who are narcissistically wounded. The pastoral theological implications for adequately addressing the complex issues of narcissism include the following: (1) There is a shift in the definition of the unit of the subject matter of pastoral theology. (2) The subject matter of pastoral theology is the Relational Self, or being in action. (3) The aim of pastoral theology and care is the Relational Self marked by a life of doxology. (4) The use of Scripture in the Christian community can have a dual function: Not only to reveal who God is in Jesus Christ for us (theology), but also to provide the needed mirroring and idealization which enhance the psychological functionality of narcissists (psychology). (5) Just as sin needs to be understood only in the context of the grace, so the symptoms of narcissistic woundings (shame, self-loathing, grandiosity, etc.) need to be understood in the context of human affirmation. (6) There is a shift in epistemology from objective knowledge to relational knowledge. (7) Human relationships, while intrinsically mutual and reciprocal, also entail a dimension of unilateral initiative which can be seen paradigmatically in the initiative and care of a parent for his or her child. |
