Self-care for clergy: theology and practice
In their survey of the history of personal identity, The Rise and Fall of Soul and Self, Raymond Martin and John Barresi are surprisingly gloomy in their assessment of certain aspects of philosophical engagement with the subject. In one sense the notion of “self” represents for them an attempt on the part of humanity to elevate itself above the rest of the natural world. That said, they do recognise the crucial role played by the Christian tradition in shaping much of what can only be properly understood as an “expression of concern with the self and its ability to endure”. In consequence, whilst it is implicit that such a sense of “self” can often lapse into selfishness and an unhealthy level of introspection, it is affirmed that only on the basis of such self-hood do human beings develop a capacity to relate, a propensity to love, an ability to communicate or even a desire to worship.
* Full article available in printed copies.
Maurice Elliott
is Principal of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute and a Church of Ireland representative on the Anglican Consultative Council.