The Search for Self-Esteem

Abstract

The discussion centers on the problem of attaining a consistently stable and healthy self-esteem as essential to psychological integrity. Opposing healthy self-esteem is the need for self-deification, a phenomenon significantly related to psychopathology as attested to in the writings of various theorists. From a Christian perspective, the relationship between sin and psychopathology is believed to be causal. Theologically defined pride is isolated by the reviewer as the essential element in sin. Pride is identical to the need for self-deification and is opposed to healthy self-esteem. The Bible holds the authoritative and definitive discussion of the problem and also provides the solution.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Barth

Church dogmatics (4 vols.). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1956.

Branden

The psychology of self-esteem. Los Angeles: Nash, 1969.

Burton

(Ed.). Operational theories of personality. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1974.

Coopersmith

The antecedents of self-esteem. San Francisco: Freeman, 1967.

Ellis

Humanistic psychotherapy. New York: McGraw Hill, 1973.

Horney

Our inner conflicts. New York: Norton, 1945.

Mussen

P. H.

, Conger

J. J.

, & Kagan

(Eds.). Child development and personality (4th ed.). New York: Harper & Row, 1956.

New American Standard Bible. Carol Stream, Ill.: Creation House, 1973.

Niebuhr

The nature and destiny of man (2 vols.). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1941.

10.

Patterson

C. H.

(Ed.). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy (2nd ed.). New York: Harper & Row, 1973.

11.

Revised Standard Version Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1962.

12.

Satir

Conjoint family therapy (rev. ed.). Palo Alto: Science & Behavior Books, 1967.

13.

Wylie

The self-concept. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1961.