PSYCHOLOGY AS RELIGION: THE CULT OF SELF- WORSHIP PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Paul C. Vitz | 191 pages | 07 Mar 1995 | William B Eerdmans Publishing Co | 9780802807250 | English | Grand Rapids, United States Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship PDF Book All is written in sand by a self in flux. Really quite profound and enlightening, shedding much light on the all-present self culture of modern life. He begins by giving the reader a brief biography on the fathers of the modern psychology movement along with some of their theories. A classic look at self-esteem and its proponents. He was a Christian and was disturbed about the growing narcissism and other issues escalating in American society as the theories of self-actualization and related "selfist" ideas gained popularity in modern counseling, public education, media and even religion. He gives the credit to our educational system for the transformation of our society into a culture of pure selfism. Please Register or Login to post new comment. Open Preview See a Problem? Welcome back. I understood the need for the first half as I read the rest of the book. Sort order. Rogers and May both went to Union Theological Seminary and broke from their Christian upbringing after traveling to Europe. Return to Book Page. Dec 11, Emily Duffey rated it really liked it. The opening chapter was dry reading but I suppose necessary as a historical backdrop. On Creativity and the Unconscious brings together Freud's important essays on the many expressions of creativity—including art, literature, love, dreams, and spirituality. Do we need a religious belief that is a labyrinth of lies, deceit, cheat, distortion, Jun 24, Ihsan rated it it was amazing. Johnman rated it really liked it Nov 19, I couldn't help but think of Anthony Giddens' book 'Transformation of Intimacy' whilst reading Vitz's analysis. Download as PDF Printable version. Two completely new chapters are also included -- one on education and "values clarification" and the other on New Age religion. He says it is a reaction to what we have done and what others have done to us. Recommended to Eric by: Brandon Wolfram. Jan 30, Honeybee rated it liked it Shelves: christian. Biblical counselors looking for material to help their counselees break free of a selfish worldview of life will be disappointed. And it's really sad because, frankly, there is a lot in the history and current theory -- and practice -- of psychology that deserves to be criticized. At the time this book was written It's copyrighted in , Paul C. It also shows what a disservice it is for churches, schools and social service organizations to adopt the philosophies of this false religion and foist it upon others. The false views now held by and taught in the culture at large are so pervasive that political or polemical solutions are unlikely to succeed, at least in any short term time frame. The great Related Articles Who Are You? Email Address:. My interest peaked when I immediately recognized Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow since I was forced to study them for 26 years while in the military. In trying to obtain a feeling of self-esteem, the only successful way is to do good to others or accomplish something. Vitz quickly transitions into explaining the concept of self-esteem which he promotes as the center of the entire selfism movement. And I can see that the tendency to give a green light to any self-defined goal is a major appeal of selfism. Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship Writer Eerdmans, William B. With these new therapeutic theories, the patient is forced into a short-term case of narcissism as they are surrounded by the almost imperceptible therapist manipulated mirror. Further, there's a lot of psychological rituals, meanings, and social organizations that do parallel religion. Vitz does a great job of analyzing these theories, quoting the writings of their instigators, delving into their backgrounds and beliefs. Please Register or Login to post new comment. Hell's Kitchen Productions. Kale Worsham rated it really liked it Oct 16, A timely read since I found myself trapped into this cult-like pseudo mythology of self-realisation as if it's some ultimate good. I couldn't help but think of Anthony Giddens' book 'Transformation of Intimacy' whilst I got a lot from reading this dated little book. He gives the credit to our educational system for the transformation of our society into a culture of pure selfism. Download as PDF Printable version. Email Address:. Vitz states that self-esteem should be understood as an emotional response and not a cause. He says it is a reaction to what we have done and what others have done to us. If not God, man will worship himself. Create new account Request new password. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. He was a Christian and was disturbed about the growing narcissism and other issues escalating in American society as the theories of self-actualization and related "selfist" ideas gained popularity in modern counseling, public education, media and even religion. Take the Self Improvement Tour. David rated it really liked it Jul 30, Product Details About the Author. Virtually rewritten, this second edition of the original text takes into account much of what has happened in the field of psychology during the past seventeen year A trenchant analysis of modern psychology -- an enterprise that Paul Vitz maintains has become a religion, a secular cult of self, now part of the problem of modern life rather than part of its resolution. Louis Santos rated it really liked it Aug 22, Vitz deconstructs the selfist movement s and tries to uphold God -centered altruism , and claims that all of modern-day liberalism and leftism are essentially selfist at their core. Categories : Ethical theories Philosophy of life Self Social theories. In trying to obtain a feeling of self- esteem, the only successful way is to do good to others or accomplish something. Rogers and May both went to Union Theological Seminary and broke from their Christian upbringing after traveling to Europe. Joseph Butler , whose philosophy is unmistakably selfist, was generally regarded as an orthodox Christian and was canonized an Anglican saint. Where Vitz shows the origins and development of self as an ism, this book proves to be invaluable. Post new comment Please Register or Login to post new comment. None of these named the system they espoused "selfism" or characterized it as "selfist", although both Seabury and Rand included the word "selfishness" in the titles of books presenting their views. View Product. Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship Reviews Yangists followed the teachings of Yang Zhu and might have been influenced by Taoism. Also, it is unclear if the sources he cites in his favor are academic peer-reviewed studies or articles, or are from sectarian think tanks or journals. A Brief Introduction to the Psychology of Religion is a concise text that covers a varied field of knowledge in a comprehensive manner. All rights reserved. Vitz By Infobars on January 13, Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. No trivia or quizzes yet. Overall, Vitz's book uses a cerebral approach in attempting to prove that self-worship is simply a religion. Not only is selfism a self-defeating goal for the Christian, Vitz goes on to make the case that it is also simply bad science and a warped philosophy. Matter and Memory is a book of cognitive philosophy by Henri Bergson which discusses the A really good critique of the 'selfism'. January Learn how and when to remove this template message. It is not without reason that Jesus is called the blessed hope and the hope of glory within us. Explicit selfishness as a desirable end and moral good had diverse manifestations during that period, for example, in the writings of David Seabury , Ayn Rand , and even among some of Rand's near-opposites, such as Erikson and Fromm. On Creativity and the Unconscious brings together Freud's important essays on the many expressions of creativity—including art, literature, love, dreams, and spirituality. Return to Book Page. Moreover, he provides a wealth of information and a refreshing argument against those who say, "You can't teach religion in public schools. Since the developers of values clarification reject moral teachings, Vitz claims that if responsible adults, i. This book covers so much in so little a space, everything from the historical and philosophical foundations of some pa Where do I begin with a book as great as this? Why go for Life-changing Reiki Healing in Rishikesh? Original Title. Of course the Republicans have no better solution for the cult of the self than do the Democrats. A little dry, but that is because it is basically research. But his choice of definition is so questionable that it casts a miasma over every page. Product Details About the Author. Author's Bio:. He begins by giving the reader a brief biography on the fathers of the modern psychology movement along with some of their theories. Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship Read Online However, the downside is people begin to pursue happiness as a far greater goal than the goal of obtaining personal holiness. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. In trying to obtain a feeling of self-esteem, the only successful way is to do good to others or accomplish something. About the Author Paul C. Nov 12, Erik marked it as to-read Shelves: another-sort-of-learning.