Anton Boisen Reconsidered: Psychiatric Survivor and Mad Prophet

Anton Boisen was a seminal figure in the psychology of religion and pastoral psychology, but scholars have remained skeptical about his theoretical contributions and have perpetuated the stigma surrounding his psychiatric diagnosis and incarceration. I argue that Boisen was a prophet, ahead of his t...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religion and health
Main Author: McCullough, Glenn J. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Springer Science + Business Media B. V. 2023
In: Journal of religion and health
Year: 2023, Volume: 62, Issue: 1, Pages: 228-254
Further subjects:B Psychosis
B Practical Theology
B Anton Boisen
B Anti-psychiatry
B Clinical pastoral education
B Mad pride
B Pastoral Psychology
B Mad studies
B psychology of religion
B Mystical Experience
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Anton Boisen was a seminal figure in the psychology of religion and pastoral psychology, but scholars have remained skeptical about his theoretical contributions and have perpetuated the stigma surrounding his psychiatric diagnosis and incarceration. I argue that Boisen was a prophet, ahead of his time, and that the academy has been slow to hear his salient critiques of the psychiatric system, and his contention that "psychosis" and "mystical experience" are overlapping phenomena. Most significantly, scholars have ignored the kernel of prophetic truth in Boisen’s own visionary experience, which, remarkably, in 1920, predicted the ecological crisis of our current age. Reclaiming Boisen’s unique voice might help us reclaim the uniqueness of the disciplines he helped birth.
ISSN:1573-6571
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and health
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s10943-022-01697-0