The primordial man says of his wife, “This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.” (Gen 2:23) St. Nikolai of Ohrid on this verse repeats a familiar consensus of the church saying, “this is the foundation and reason for the mysterious attraction and unity of husband and wife.” As with…
I’ve loved Kierkegaard for 2 decades and have managed to read nearly everything he wrote, many two or three times. Yesterday during my second run through of The Concept of Anxiety I was struck by a passage that spells out the task of psychology in a way I’ve never heard it; something that I apparently…
Originally posted on Eric Hyde Counseling:
Something I’ve been thinking about lately is the notion of what I call the “Noble Line,” i.e. the psychology of ancestry. It used to be that growing up a person had a sense of family roots – roots not limited to one’s immediate parents or grandparents, but roots extending…
“Partisanship,” writes Aldous Huxley, “is a complex passion which permits those who indulge in it to make the best of both worlds. Because they do these things for the sake of a group which is, by definition, good and even sacred, they can admire themselves and loathe their neighbors, they can seek power and money,…
“Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” This is the new fun phrase from Nike’s new ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick circulating social media. I have no interest in getting involved with the NFL kneeling thing or the time-wasting delirium of debating Nike’s intentions with the ad, but I feel a need to…
Why do some people hear the wisdom of God – the “word of the kingdom of heaven” – and change their lives forever, while others are either unaffected or take interest only for a period and then turn away? In short, why are some saved and some lost? The 13th chapter of the Gospel of…
We’ve all known those people who cannot be pleased no matter what we do. They provide true ‘damned if I do, damned if I don’t’ situations. If you’re like me you tend to believe there exists some magic phrase, some perfect logic, argument, deed, expression that can be said or done that will bring the…
Religion has earned a bad name. There was a time when the word simply referred to all things pertaining to a faith. Now it seems to refer exclusively to all the bad things pertaining to a faith. The ever popular “I’m spiritual, not religious” thinking cannot conceive of religion as anything but toxic, dangerous, or,…
If you don’t know who Anthony Bourdain is it’s probably because you hate traveling and good food. He was THE perennial all-star travel and food critic; he held the job that I, and anyone with any sense of sense, dreamed of having. And besides the actual Anthony Bourdain – the witty, sarcastic, crass storyteller, chef…
Seeking counseling at church can be highly precarious. Many are left with a choice between equally bad options: do I (a) tell my pastor about my affair, addiction, suicidal thoughts, hatred, etc., and risk getting ostracized, or (b) self-medicate, keep my mouth shut, and hope the guilty feeling goes away some day? There is of…
It felt strange typing this title. If I didn’t have personal experience with Christians who believe that because they’re Christians they have no need for counseling I would have never thought to write such an article. Many believers seem to view counseling as ‘church’ for unbelievers. Now, the possibility for Christians to have mental illnesses is conceivable,…
Sam Harris has seen immense growth in popularity after starting his latest project – Waking Up with Sam Harris podcast. This project has expanded his repertoire to include far more subjects in his talks than his traditional mainstay of New Atheist apologetics. As part of the project Harris has released several memes as well. A…
"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced" -Kierkegaard
Doctrine Matters
Then they told what had happened on the road
