RT Article
T1 The Prodigal Son: Some Psychological Aspects of Augustine's Conversion to Christianity
JF Journal of religion and health
VO 47
IS 1
SP 75
OP 87
A1 Nauta, Rein 1944-
LA English
PB Springer Science + Business Media B. V.
YR 2008
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1668856077
AB Augustine's conversion is considered exemplary for its Christian testimony. However, the psychological aspects are also relevant, for Augustine's conversion to Christianity was as much inspired by personal and cultural ambitions as by religious convictions. For Augustine, the conversion to the Christian faith spelled a life of asceticism—a life of celibacy, a virtuous and chaste existence, which also offered him a means of escape from the threatening ambiguity of parental relations and a chance to realize the cultural ideal of the civilized philosopher who has subjugated the passions of the flesh. In this paper we explore the psychological dynamics of the absent father, the suffering mother and the prodigal son and the role they played in Augustine's conversion to Christianity.
K1 Absent father
K1 Augustine
K1 Conversion
K1 Narcissism
K1 Suffering mother
DO 10.1007/s10943-007-9134-1