Copyright © 2015 Matthew Brett Vaden All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. THE FALSE SELF AND TRUE SELF: ACHRISTIANPERSPECTIVE A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Matthew Brett Vaden December 2015 APPROVAL SHEET THE FALSE SELF AND TRUE SELF: A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE Matthew Brett Vaden Read and Approved by: ___________________________________________ Eric L. Johnson (Chair) ___________________________________________ Jonathan T. Pennington ___________________________________________ Gregg R. Allison Date_______________________________ I dedicate this dissertation to Rachael Elaine Vaden. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE ........................................................................................................................ VII Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem ....................................................................................1 Thesis ..................................................................................................................7 Methodology .......................................................................................................7 Delimitations .............................................................................................. 7 Presuppositions and Hermeneutic .............................................................. 9 Chapter Summaries .................................................................................. 11 2. A SCRIPTURAL PERSPECTIVE ........................................................................18 The Self in the Bible .........................................................................................18 The False Self in the Bible ................................................................................22 Foolishness .............................................................................................. 22 Hypocrisy ................................................................................................. 29 The Flesh ................................................................................................. 36 The True Self in the Bible .................................................................................53 The True Self in Matthew ........................................................................ 53 The True Self in Paul ............................................................................... 59 Interventions in Matthew ......................................................................... 71 Interventions in Paul ................................................................................ 81 3. CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES .............................................................................92 iv Chapter Page Augustine of Hippo ...........................................................................................92 Augustine on the Self ............................................................................... 93 Augustine on the False Self ..................................................................... 96 Augustine on the True Self ...................................................................... 99 Augustine on Interventions .................................................................... 103 Martin Luther ..................................................................................................108 Luther on the Self .................................................................................. 108 Luther on the False Self ......................................................................... 110 Luther on the True Self .......................................................................... 113 Luther on Interventions .......................................................................... 117 Søren Kierkegaard ...........................................................................................124 Kierkegaard on the Self ......................................................................... 124 Kierkegaard on the False Self ................................................................ 127 Kierkegaard on the True Self ................................................................. 131 Kierkegaard on Interventions ................................................................ 134 Thomas Merton ...............................................................................................139 Merton on the Self ................................................................................. 140 Merton on the False Self ........................................................................ 141 Merton on the True Self ......................................................................... 143 Merton on Interventions ........................................................................ 146 Conclusion ......................................................................................................151 4. SECULAR PERSPECTIVES ..............................................................................156 D. W. Winnicott ..............................................................................................156 Winnicott on the Self ............................................................................. 157 Winnicott on the False Self .................................................................... 166 v Chapter Page Winnicott on the True Self .................................................................... 169 Winnicott on Interventions .................................................................... 172 Susan Harter ....................................................................................................180 Harter on the Self ................................................................................... 181 Harter on the False Self ......................................................................... 192 Harter on the True Self .......................................................................... 198 Harter on Interventions .......................................................................... 201 Critique ............................................................................................................212 A Psychodynamic and Social Cognitive Synthesis ............................... 212 Autonomy and Connectedness .............................................................. 220 The Coerced, Socially-Implanted Self ................................................... 222 The Facilitating Environment ................................................................ 223 Conclusion ......................................................................................................226 5. A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE .........................................................................227 The Self ...........................................................................................................228 The False Self ..................................................................................................232 The True Self...................................................................................................239 Interventions Fostering the True Self ..............................................................245 Strategies for Individuals ....................................................................... 247 Strategies for Counselors ....................................................................... 249 Conclusion ......................................................................................................258 vi PREFACE Months before my doctoral studies commenced, I attended a weekend event called Men at the Cross. There the concepts of the false self and true self came to have deeply personal meaning for me. This dissertation is of more than academic interest, and the beginning and basis of the work has been my own need for the true self. I have had many partners in this task. Eric Johnson has guided me the entire way; I am grateful for his invitations to go deeper as a fellow scholar and sojourner. Thanks to friends who have encouraged me and helped me get this dissertation finished, including Daniel Vaden, Jordan and Sharla Goings, Michael and Melissa Spalione, Brent and Courtney Moore, Ben and Laura Reed, Bob Hudson, Ben and Megen Boyett, Jason and Rebekah Borah, Brian and Jennifer Renshaw, and Kyle and Vanessa Janke. Thanks to my parents and my wife’s parents for their gracious and constant support: Larry and Laura Vaden, and Greg and Libby Bozeman. I owe my wife, Rachael, the most gratitude. I honor her for her faith, hope, and love, which have inspired me to persevere in scholarship and sanctification. Lastly, I thank our children, Story, Arrow, and Harmony, who in their own ways are helping me discern the truth about myself. Brett Vaden Louisville, Kentucky December 2015 vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem The purpose of this dissertation is to propose a Christian theory of the false self and true self. The idea of a split within the mind between a true conception of the self and a false one has been studied and