The Denial of Death : Foundations for An Integration of Psychological and Theological Views of Personality

Abstract

The thesis of this article is that Ernest Becker's book, The Denial of Death, presents viable propositions for an integration of psychological and theological views of personality. The key integrative bases for this work are (a) that the core tendency of the personality is to minimize the fear of death while minimizing the fear of life, and (b) that this tendency is supported both by Christian theology and the nature of the religious quest. Both psychological and spiritual resources for minimizing the fears of life and death are delineated. A brief model of personality, psychological growth, and holistic maturity is presented in order to resolve tensions between religious and psychological conceptions of growth and maturity.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bates

Letters from Ernest.

Christian Century, 1977, 94, 217–227.

Becker

The denial of death. New York: Free Press, 1973.

Erickson

E. H.

Identity and the life cycle.

Psychological Issues, 1959, No. 1.

Erickson

E. H.

Childhood and society. New York: Norton, 1963.

Frankl

V. E.

The doctor and the soul. New York: Vintage, 1973.

Lewis

C. S.

Mere Christianity. New York: MacMillan, 1960.

Maddi

Personality theories: A comparative analysis. New York: The Dorsey Press, 1972.

Morris

The wages of sin. London: Tyndale, 1954.

Rank

The myth of the birth of the hero and other writings. New York: Vintage, 1932.