Don Browning and Psychology : Interpreting the Horizons of Our Lives

by Cooper, Terry D.

• ISBN13: 9780881462548
• ISBN10: 0881462543
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-11-30
• Publisher: Mercer Univ Pr

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Terry D. Cooper (EdD, PhD) holds doctorates from Vanderbilt University and St. Louis University. The author of eleven books, he is professor of Psychology at St. Louis Community College at Meramec and adjunct professor of Religious Studies at Webster University. Previous works with Mercer University Press include Paul Tillich and Psychology and Reinhold Niebuhr and Psychology. Cooper also co-authored with Don Browning, Religious Thought and the Modern Psychologies (2nd ed.).

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
"Mere" Psychology	p. 6
Basic Instinct(s): Human Nature and Culture	p. 59
Identity, Self-Injury, and Generativity	p. 116
Jung, Self-Realization, and Evil	p. 165
Browning's Contributions: Interview and Concluding Statement	p. 192
Index	p. 223
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.