About emerge! Journal

The Emerge! Journal is the official publication of The Gregorian Fellowship for Orthodox Psychology.  It is our intent and purpose to distill, express and disseminate information and articles within the realm of Orthodox Theology that presents the true sense of a genuine “Psychology”. It is our hope that such an “Orthodox Christian Psychology” shall prove useful in the therapeutic milieu beyond that of pastor/parishioner or the elder/monk relationships. These dyads of helping transcend the clinician/client relationship that secular psychology has so often led astray. As for the Therapy of such an Orthodox Psychology, we may be open to the integration of modalities and techniques from various post-Freudian systems, in particularly those of the Existential Psychotherapies. Such labor as this is akin to the Early Church Father’s adaptation and transformation of ancient Greek Philosophies.

We invite Orthodox clergy, monastics and laity from among the mental health professions and Orthodox Pastoral & Patristic Theologians to join The Gregorian Fellowship for Orthodox Psychology and submit their contributions to Emerge! eJournal in the form of articles, responses, commentaries, and book reviews. This can been accomplished by e-mailing us at the Nastati Institute (a ministry of the Hermitage of St. John the Theologian). The Gregorian Fellowship for Orthodox Psychology was founded by the Rev. Fr. Stavrophoremonk Symeon as an initiative of the Nastati Institute, however The Gregorian Fellowship is a Pan-Orthodox, free standing, self-governing association of mental health professionals and theologians from the Orthodox Church.

Various Categories Emerge! eJournal will be considering, though not limited to, are:

Foundations – The theological understanding of who and what is Man and his relationship with God, with other humans, with creation and with himself in the paradisical, post-paradisical and salvific states. What is man’s goals towards “becoming” well and fully human?

Patristic Writings – Articles relevant to our task as authored by one or another Church Father.

Human Dilemma – This category addresses the particular experiences of Man in every aspects of his life drama and personal dilemmas. Such as depression, avoidance, abandonment, rage/anger, emptiness, greed, etc. Here we can begin to view “traditional” psychiatric problems (DSM) in a theological/existential re-framing.

Diagnosis – Here we aim to develop a pastoral assessment or a diagnostic criteria according to an Orthodox Psychology. Is such a diagnostic criteria necessary?

Treatment (therapia) – Here we address the variety of treatments for particular ailments of mind (nöesis) and soul (psychi) as gleaned from the Early Fathers, contemporary Orthodox Elders and where useful Existential/Humanistic psychotherapies.

Applications – Where else beyond the clinician’s office and the confessional can a genuine Orthodox Psychology be applied? To families, couples, businesses, international relations, peacemaking and conflict resolution?

The Therapist – What are the qualities of an Orthodox Therapist? What are the requirements and prerequisites to becoming an Orthodox Therapist? The quintessential therapist belongs to those in the holy priesthood in the Orthodox Church but, is every priest capable of engaging in therapia?

Miscellaneous – Have we missed any category of import?