The Bible Project Daily Podcast Bonus Episode (Psychology) The Divided Self By R. D. Laing - Reaction from a Christian Perspective.
Jun 2, 2025
25:00
This was originally released as a Patrons only Video Podcast on the 24th April 224 on Patreon.
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Episode Notes
- Laing's Early Life and Education
- Born in 1927 in Glasgow, Scotland.
- Raised in a working-class family with a mentally ill mother.
- Excelled academically, attended Hutchesons' Grammar School and the University of Glasgow for medicine.
- Career.
- Served in the British Army as a medical officer.
- Further studies in psychiatry at the Glasgow Royal Mental Hospital.
- Published "The Divided Self" in 1960, challenging traditional psychiatric approaches.
- Associated with the anti-psychiatry movement.
- Died in 1989, leaving a controversial lasting impact on psychology and therapy.
- Themes of "The Divided Self"
- His, Crisis of identity theory was influenced by existential philosophy.
- He believed dysfunction in family relationships contributing to schizophrenia, (Not believed by mainstream clinicians today.
- Subjective Experience of Madness: Saw psychotic symptoms as responses to emotional distress.
- Advocated for a holistic understanding of mental illness.
Christian Perspective
- Resonance with Compassion and Understanding which align with the Christian values of love and compassion.
- His rejection of objective truth dilutes transformative power of Christ's love.
- He rejected a biblical framework of familial responsibility and accountability make his perspective incompatible with Christianity.
- His critique of materialism and emphasis on authentic relationships resonate with Christian values.
- His call for holistic understanding aligns with Christian emphasis on integral human personhood.
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