Tag: psychology

Muddying the waters of empathy

Joe Rigney in his book  “The sin of empathy” suggests that “empathy” is a difficult word to define.  He observes that it is a fairly recent entry into the English language.  “The term “empathy” itself is very recent. It was introduced into English in the early twentieth century in the field of aesthetics. It originally… Continue reading Muddying the waters of empathy

Does God have emotions?

In September’s Evangelical Times, Psychiatrist Alan Thomas argues that God does have emotions.  He does not believe that this contradicts the Doctrine of impassibility, that God is without passions.  However, he argues against the concept of an emotionless God.  Guy Davies has responded by arguing that God does not have emotions and that this would… Continue reading Does God have emotions?

Is it just psychobabble?

Over the past couple of days I’ve shared a couple of posts drawing on observations that psychologists make about trauma and suggesting some lessons for church leaders. Some of us might be a little bit nervous of seeing articles that appear to draw primarily from secular thinking. I mean, there’s huge scepticism about the ability… Continue reading Is it just psychobabble?

Blocked care and the church

Child psychologists working with families where the child has experienced significant trauma sometimes talk about a concept called “Blocked Care.” The concept is particular associated with Daniel Hughes.[1] Blocked care/parenting is a state parents can enter when prolonged stress suppresses their capacity to sustain loving and empathic feelings towards their child. Broadly, this happens almost… Continue reading Blocked care and the church