Self-Actualization and the Radical Gospel: Second Edition - Paperback

by Louis Roy (Author)

Can today's Christians reconcile a belief in self-actualization with the extreme ethical demands of the New Testament? The author argues that they can, although not easily, and that the felt uneasiness between two concerns--self-fulfillment and self-gift--may generate a healthy tension. There is then an apparent mismatch between two views of ethics. On the one hand, psychological humanism is based on self-affirmation, acceptance of one's limitations, moderation, and the search for a quality of life in the midst of globalization. On the other hand, the radicalism of the gospel emphasizes passion (in the two senses of this word), self-transcendence towards the infinite, and generosity for God and others. Nonetheless, these two tendencies are neither incompatible nor easily reconcilable. The book uncovers both the pitfalls of self-actualization and the misleading interpretations that have disfigured the radical gospel. It highlights the developmental factors, views of human life, successes, and failures which play a considerable role in a person's journey. It brings psychological, biblical, philosophical, theological, and pastoral clarifications to bear on the issues. This book will help its readers to grasp what a psychologically informed Christian ethic can be, both intellectually and practically.

Author Biography

Louis Roy, a Dominican friar from Canada, received a PhD from Cambridge University. He was a professor at Boston College for twenty-one years and now teaches at Dominican University College in Ottawa. He is interested mainly in the relations between Christianity and cultures, interreligious dialogue, spirituality, and mysticism. Among his books are Coherent Christianity, Embracing Desire, and The Feeling of Transcendence, an Experience of God?