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The later-adult years are commonly viewed as a period in which one
struggles to maintain a vestige of the physical, mental, and
emotional vitality of one's earlier years. In 'Still Growing',
however, Donald Capps shows that older adulthood is actually a
period of growth and development, and that a central feature of
this growth and development is the remarkable creativity of older
adults. This creativity is the consequence of the wisdom gained
through years of experience but is also due to a newly developed
capacity to adapt to unprecedented challenges integral to the aging
process. In Part 1, Capps illustrates the challenges of
transitioning to older adulthood from the author's own experiences,
while in Part 2 he draws on material from Erik H. Erikson, Sigmund
Freud, and Paul W. Pruyser to account for longevity, adaptability,
and creativity in older adults. Finally, in part 3 he focusses on
the work of both William James and Walt Disney to fashion a model
of creative aging.
Erik Erikson, best known for his life-cycle theory and concept of
the identity crisis, proposed that we are comprised of a number of
selves. In several earlier books, including 'At Home in the World',
Donald Capps has suggested that the emotional separation of young
children - especially boys - from their mothers results in the
development of a melancholy self. In this book, Capps employs
Erikson's assignment of an inherent strength to each stage of the
life cycle and proposes that the life-enhancing strengths of the
childhood years (hope, will, purpose, and competence) are central
to the development of a resourceful self, and that this self
counters the life-diminishing qualities of the melancholy self.
Focusing on Erikson's own writings, Capps identifies the four
primordial resources that Erikson associates with childhood -
humor, play, dreams, and hope - and shows how these resources
assist children in confronting life's difficulties and challenges.
Capps further suggests that the resourceful self that develops in
childhood is central to Jesus' own vision of what we as adults may
become if we follow the lead of little children.
The emotional separation of boys from their mothers in early
childhood enables them to connect with their fathers and their
fathers' world. But this separation also produces a melancholic
reaction of sadness and sense of loss. Certain religious
sensibilities develop out of this melancholic reaction, including a
sense of honor, a sense of hope, and a sense of humor. Realizing
that they cannot return to their original maternal environment,
men, whether knowingly or not, embark on a lifelong search for a
sense of being at home in the world. 'At Home in the World' focuses
on works of art as a means to explore the formation and continuing
expression of men's melancholy selves and their religious
sensibilities. These explorations include such topics as male
viewers' mixed feelings toward the maternal figure, physical
settings that offer alternatives to the maternal environment, and
the maternal resonances of the world of nature. By presenting
images of the natural world as the locus of peace and contentment,
'At Home in the World' especially reflects of the religious
sensibility of hope.
William James called his classic work, The Varieties of Religious
Experience, 'a study in human nature'. For James, it is a
fundamental feature of human nature that we have a conscious and a
subconscious mind, and that the subconscious mind is deeply
implicated in the religious life, especially in conversion and
other experiences of spiritual enlightenment. In The Religious
Life, Donald Capps addresses religious melancholy, the div ided
self and discordant personality, religious conversion, the saintly
character, and the prayerful consciousness. He contrasts the cases
of two clergymen - one deeply troubled, the other exemplary of the
spiritual person. Aimed at general readers, Capps' work makes
William James, a popular author in his own day, accessible to a
modern audience.
Today, diversity of gender and sexuality is beginning to be
recognized and celebrated, even while many religious denominations
still resist these cultural changes. The Gift of Sublimation offers
pastoral interpretations of these social shifts in the light of
psychological principles, and argues that there is, historically,
not only one view of masculinity but multiple conceptions. This
discussion covers topics as diverse as the moral disapproval of
masturbation; the efforts of some churches to convince homosexual
men to adopt a heterosexual orientation; the dynamics of male envy
of female longevity; the homosexual tendencies of King James I of
England and VI of Scotland; and biblical portraits of God's body,
gender, and sexuality. Nathan Carlin and Donald Capps make special
use of the psychoanalytic concept of sublimation: the redirection
of sexual desires that are considered unacceptable or unworthy
towards interests and aspirations that are considered acceptable
and worthy. While the use of psychoanalytic hermeneutics here is
likely to raise various red flags for potential religious readers,
especially for those who have been informed that Sigmund Freud was
hostile towards religion, this book presents a rather different
view, focussing on religious sublimation.
Five historic ministersfive formative career pathswhich path are
you on? According to Daniel Levinson's developmental theory, each
person's professional career path forms at the same time in their
life, in their 20s and 30s. Young Clergy: A Biographical and
Developmental Study applies Levinson's study to ministerial
practice, mapping the career patterns of five historical ministers
during that time period in each life. The author clearly presents
deep psychological insightssupported by solid biographical
information on each minister's actions and reactions to
challengesillustrating how the theory holds relevance for young
professional clergy even today. Young Clergy: A Biographical and
Developmental Study reviews each minister's Novice Phase, where the
major tasks of forming a dream, forming mentor relationships, and
forming an occupation are presentedand stringently supported by
concrete biographical events. The book then shows how this phase
leads each from their early adult transition through their entrance
into the adult world, and then on to the life-altering events in
the Age 25 Shift and the Age 30 Transition. From there the text
reveals the formative Settling Down Period through events that
unfold between the ages of 33-40. The author discusses how this
period determines the subsequent course of each one's career and,
more importantly, shapes each one's attitudes, values, and
convictions of a life as a minister. Using fascinating biographical
information from multiple sources, the author builds a
well-reasoned case that no matter how long ago these important men
lived, their career patterns and lives hold a wealth of insightful
information to help you maximize strengths and minimize liabilities
in your own career and life today. Young Clergy: A Biographical and
Developmental Study closely examines these five historical figure's
biographies, and reviews each applicable theoretical career path:
Phillips Brooksadvancement within a stable life structure Jonathan
Edwardsdecline or failure within a stable structure John Henry
Newmanbreaking outtrying for a new structure John Wesleyadvancement
produces change in life structure Orestes Brownsonunstable life
structure Young Clergy: A Biographical and Developmental Study is
an in-depth historical and psychological exploration of the lives
of ministers and their relevance for present day clergy, perfect
for professors, seminary deans of students, field education
directors and their staffs, hospital chaplains involved in vocation
issues, young pastors and their pastoral supervisors, and teachers
of church history.
Since its founding by Jacques Waardenburg in 1971, Religion and
Reason has been a leading forum for contributions on theories,
theoretical issues and agendas related to the phenomenon and the
study of religion. Topics include (among others) category
formation, comparison, ethnophilosophy, hermeneutics, methodology,
myth, phenomenology, philosophy of science, scientific atheism,
structuralism, and theories of religion. From time to time the
series publishes volumes that map the state of the art and the
history of the discipline.
You've Got to Be Kidding!: How Jokes Can Help You Think is a
thoughtful and accessible analysis of the ways in which jokes
illustrate how we think critically, and how the thinking process
goes awry in everyday human situations Uses jokes to illustrate the
various mistakes or fallacies that are typically identified and
discussed in courses on critical reasoning Provides an effective
way to learn critical thinking skills since jokes often describe
real-life situations where it really matters whether a person
thinks well or not Demonstrates how philosophy is actually very
practical and clearly related to real- life human experiences
Explains how developing good reasoning habits can make a real
difference in all aspects of one's life
"You've Got to Be Kidding : How Jokes Can Help You Think" is a
thoughtful and accessible analysis of the ways in which jokes
illustrate how we think critically, and how the thinking process
goes awry in everyday human situations Uses jokes to illustrate the
various mistakes or fallacies that are typically identified and
discussed in courses on critical reasoningProvides an effective way
to learn critical thinking skills since jokes often describe
real-life situations where it really matters whether a person
thinks well or notDemonstrates how philosophy is actually very
practical and clearly related to real- life human
experiencesExplains how developing good reasoning habits can make a
real difference in all aspects of one's life
In his late teens and early twenties Erik H. Erikson, the widely
acclaimed psychoanalyst and developmental theorist, aspired to be
an artist. In Erik Erikson's Verbal Portraits: Luther, Gandhi,
Einstein, Jesus, Donald Capps contends that Erikson's portraits of
respective historical figures not only reflect his artistic gifts
but also make a highly creative contribution to psychoanalytic
discourse. Moreover, his verbal portraits are vivid and compelling
representations of his multifaceted conception of identity. His
emphasis on the formative role of the mutual recognition of mother
and infant in human portraiture, the importance he attaches to the
Self and the sense of "I," and his use of psychoanalysis as a means
to experience the living presence of noteworthy historical figures
are especially noted. In addition to his portraits of the four men,
his brief verbal portrait of Ruth Benedict is presented, and his
personal identification with a fifteenth century painting of Mary,
the mother of Jesus, is also explored.
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Humor Us (Paperback)
Donald Capps
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Humor Us (Hardcover)
Donald Capps
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About the Contributor(s): Donald Capps is William Harte Felmeth
Professor of Pastoral Theology (Emeritus) and adjunct professor at
Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the author of At Home in the
World: A Study in Psychoanalysis, Religion, and Art (Cascade Books,
2013) and Striking Out: The Religious Journey of Teenage Boys
(Cascade Books, 2011).
Endorsements: "One of the greatest contributions of Capps's book is
the way in which he weaves together a vast range of theories,
interpretations, and explanations of psychopathology, without ever
losing sight of the humanity of the person living with mental
illness. Far too many books seek to find one, single explanation of
the baffling and complex phenomenon of mental illness. Fragile
Connections will expand our understanding and empower pastors and
others concerned about mental illness with an eloquent exploration
of one of the greatest mysteries of the human predicament." --Lewis
Rambo, San Francisco Theological Union and Graduate Theological
Union "Donald Capps skillfully guides his readers into the strange
world of severe mental illness, a neighborhood disturbingly close
to home. He first offers the lay of the land by scrutinizing
particular psychiatric classifications. He then carefully treks
through gripping narrative accounts of those battling
schizophrenia, clinical depression, bipolar disorder, and
Alzheimer's disease. Finally, with interpretive precision honed
through a lifetime of attending to persons in pain, Capps risks his
own stunning insights into the anguish and mystery of these lives.
An exquisite and sobering journey." --Robert C. Dykstra, Princeton
Theological Seminary "Fragile Connections is a most welcome
resource for those of us involved in theological education. Capps's
creative use of five memoirs allows persons who suffer from various
mental illnesses and the family members who care for them to speak
in their own voices about living with these afflictions." --Carol
J. Cook, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary "Doing good
with stealth as usual Donald Capps has designed this biblically,
historically grounded book for seminary students and ministers, who
will find no other like it. The book holds out the key to
understanding the experiences of those who are mentally ill and
those who love them. Capps argues that the study of individuals'
personal memoirs--rather than medically modeled case
studies--reveals the deep and profoundly personal nature of each
person's unique experience of mental illness. What is more, written
as it is in Capps's inimitable style, this book fills a void in
seminary curricula as it addresses a problem in methodology."
--Antoinette Goodwin, pastoral psychotherapist, Princeton, New
Jersey
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