Don Browning and Psychology

Download or read book Don Browning and Psychology written by Terry D. Cooper and published by Mercer University Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Psychologist of religion, ethicist, theological psychologist, cultural critic, philosophical anthropologist, marriage and family expert, practical theologian, and religion and law scholar -- these are some of the many labels one could use to describe the history of Don Browning's work. Yet in spite of the multi-faceted nature of Browning's work, abiding themes and central concerns consistently emerge. Perhaps the title which best describes Browning's noteworthy contributions is that of 'horizon analyst.' Browning is always at his best when he is helping us see the world of implicit assumptions and normative images which govern various perspectives. He has an eye for metaphors which, as his mentor Ricoeur famously said, give rise to thought. Perhaps Browning's greatest academic asset has been his ability to explore the philosophical underpinnings of various psychological theories. This book focuses on Browning's rich investigative journey into Freud's dual instinct model, the relationship between human biology and culture, evolutionary psychology, William James' instinctual pluralism, Erik Erickson's notion of generativity, the ethical implications of self-actualization in the humanistic psychologies of Rogers and Maslow, evil and self-realization in Carl Jung, the place of self-injury in the thought of Heinz Kohut, as well as other issues. Beginning with a discussion of Browning's critical hermeneutical approach, heavily influenced by Gadamer, Ricoeur, and David Tracy, this book then systematically explores Browning's critical assessments of the most significant contemporary psychological movements.