Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Narcissistic Personality Traits of Preachers in the South Korean Context
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Interdisciplinary perspectives on narcissistic personality traits of preachers in the South Korean context by Dongjoo Lee Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Theology in the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Professor Johan H. Cilliers March 2020 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. March 2020 Copyright © 2020 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved i Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract Preaching does not exclude the unique qualities of individual preachers, but rather actively reflects them. If a preacher suffers from problems that arise from his/her personality, the problems will also have an effect on the preaching. Since preaching is not just a transfer of knowledge, it is important for the preacher to have a relational authenticity with other elements of the preaching: God, the text, the congregation, and the preacher him/herself. Hence, focusing on the preacher’s narcissistic personality associated with this relational authenticity, this research hypothesizes that the preacher’s narcissistic personality or behavior has negative effects on the preaching. This research as an interdisciplinary study between psychology and homiletics for the understanding the preacher’s narcissistic issue in the South Korean context constitutes three parts. Firstly, the historical review of narcissism in three psychological fields - clinical theories, personality/society psychology, and psychiatry - is conducted for the comprehensive understanding of the concept of narcissism. Secondly, it examined some cultural factors that have considerable relevance to the preacher’s narcissistic issues in the South Korean context. Lastly, drawing on the perspective of Kohut’s self psychology and Cilliers’ understanding of preaching as a theological integration of the four voices – the voices of God, the text, the preacher, and the congregation – this research analyzed the (mainly negative) influences of a preacher’s narcissistic personality on the preaching. ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Opsomming Prediking sluit nie die unieke eienskappe van individuele predikers uit nie, maar weerspieël dit eerder aktief. Indien 'n prediker probleme ondervind wat vanuit sy/haar persoonlikheid afkomstig is, sal die probleme ook 'n invloed op die prediking hê. Aangesien prediking nie net 'n oordrag van kennis is nie, is dit belangrik dat die prediker relasionele egtheid handhaaf met betrekking tot ander elemente van die prediking: met God, die teks, die gemeente en die prediker self. As gevolg van die fokus op die narcistiese kwessies van die prediker, dui hierdie navorsing dus daarop dat die narcistiese persoonlikheid of gedrag van die prediker negatiewe gevolge vir die prediking inhou. Die navorsing, wat uit drie dele bestaan, behels 'n interdissiplinêre studie tussen sielkunde en homiletiek om die narcistiese aangeleentheid van die prediker in die Suid-Koreaanse konteks te verstaan. Die drie afdelings daarvan voorsien ‘n historiese oorsig van narcisme in drie psigologiese areas. Eerstens word die historiese oorsig van narcisme binne drie sielkundige terreine – kliniese teorieë, persoonlikheids-/ samelewingspsigologie en psigiatrie – onderneem vir ‘n omvattende begrip van die konsep van narcisme. Tweedens word 'n aantal kulturele faktore wat aansienlik relevant is vir die narcistiese kwessies van die prediker in die Suid-Koreaanse konteks ondersoek. Laastens word die (hoofsaaklik negatiewe) invloede van die narcistiese persoonlikheid van die prediker op die prediking aan die hand van Kohut se selfpsigologie en Cilliers se begrip van die prediking as 'n teologiese integrasie van vier stemme – van God, die teks, die prediker en die gemeente – geanaliseer. iii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Acknowledgements I hereby wish to express my sincere gratitude to: My Professor Johan Cilliers. He always welcomed and encouraged me to keep moving forward. I will never forget the many insights and lessons from his books and guidance. My lovely wife and son, Yumi and Minyul, and all my family in South Korea – Kabsu, Yoonja, Daewoong, Dongsuk, Youngran, Jungmin, Eunmi. They are always the strength that sustains me, and I really appreciate their continual grace and support with love in prayer. Members of Changhundae Church, Grace Korean Church, and His Church in Klapmuts who support me with prayer and love. The editor of this thesis, Glenda, and my all colleagues. iv Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za CONTENTS DECLARATION ....................................................................................................................... i ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. ii OPSOMMING........................................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... iv CONTENTS.............................................................................................................................. v Chapter 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background .................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Problem statement ......................................................................................................................................... 3 1.3. Prior Study ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.4. Aim and hypothesis ........................................................................................................................................ 5 1.5. Methodology ................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.6. Limitations ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 2 Narcissism .......................................................................................................... 10 2.1. Derivation of narcissism and Narcissus’ story ........................................................................................... 11 2.2. A historical review of narcissism ................................................................................................................ 12 2.2.1. Early period of narcissism .............................................................................................................................................. 12 2.2.2. Clinical theories of narcissism ...................................................................................................................................... 13 2.2.2.1. Narcissism in Kohutnarcelf-psychology ........................................................................................ 14 2.2.2.2. Narcissism of Kernberg .................................................................................................................. 16 2.2.2.3. A social learning theory of narcissism ............................................................................................ 16 2.2.3. Narcissism in social/personality psychology: trait narcissism .............................................................................. 17 2.2.3.1. The narcissistic personality inventory ............................................................................................ 19 2.2.3.2. Grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism within trait narcissism ....................................... 21 2.2.3.3. Normal narcissism and pathological narcissism ............................................................................. 22 2.2.3.4. Narcissism from the perspective of the dynamic self-regulatory processing model ...................... 23 2.2.4. Narcissistic personality disorder ................................................................................................................................... 25 2.2.4.1. Criteria for NPD in DSM ............................................................................................................... 25 2.2.4.2. Changes of NPD criteria in DSM-5 ............................................................................................... 26 2.2.5. The Narcissism spectrum model ................................................................................................................................... 27 v Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 2.2.6. Multilevel conceptualization of narcissism ................................................................................................................ 29 2.3. Culture and narcissism