International Conference on Psychiatry and Religion
Psychological Aspects of Biblical Concepts and Persons
4 - 6 March 2002 Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The conference attempts to bring together two fields of inquiry
that are rarely viewed as being related to one another, theology
and psychiatry. The guiding idea of the conference is to contribute
to an enriched and deepened understanding of biblical concepts and
persons, by defining a field of interdisciplinary research from
which both disciplines might profit.
This approach may raise the interests of psychiatrists and
mental health care workers, not only because people who need mental
help might identify themselves with a particular biblical person,
but also because the Bible offers perspectives on human anguish,
suffering and interpersonal relationships which differ in important
respects from conceptions based on dominant modernist notions of
man, for instance, the idea of life as a project of
self-realization.
For theology, such an interdisciplinary project might prove to
be illuminating, in so far as it contributes to a deepened
psychological understanding of biblical concepts and persons. This,
in turn, might provide clues for an enriched self-understanding of
theology and of the way theology could be brought into practice in
the contemporary context.
Theology could in this way criticize and open-up psychological
and psychiatric (reductionistic) explanations of human behavior. On
the other hand, non-reductionistic use of psychological and
psychiatric insights could contribute to the full picture of a
biblical concept and/or person.
More information & website: This conference is organized by
the Dutch Foundation for Psychiatry and Religion.
Executive Committee, Program and Organizing Committee:
Gerrit Glas, chair, Herman M. van Praag, vice-chair, Peter J.
Verhagen, secretary.
For the latest information please visit our website
http://www.angelfire.com/nd%20/psychiatrieenreligie/
Here you will find much more details about the conference and the
Dutch Foundation for Psychiatry and Religion.
E-mail: info@leidscongresbureau.nl
SIG meetings for your diary
8.11.01 (at the College) 'The Healing Power of
Love'
1.02.02 (at the College) Programme to be
announced
14.5.02 (at the RSM) Joint SIG/RSM 'The place of
Spirituality in Psychiatry'
Resource List reminder!
Julian Candy writes: Don't forget to send me your suggestions
for the SIG Resource List Health and Spirituality. If available I
need title, author, publication date, publisher, plus a two-line
annotation. No later than mid-October, please, and the Steering
Group makes the final decision about inclusion. Send via rcpsych@rcpsych.ac.uk