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"The class examines how hope-filled Bible stories can and should substitute for the fatalistic Greek narratives that serve as case studies in traditional psychotherapy." -- Kalman J. Kaplan
(Chicago, Illinois)—After years of battling academic bias, clinical psychologist and Fullbright Fellow, Professor Kalman J. Kaplan, will be teaching a course he co-developed with chaplain Elizabeth Recht Jones at the University of Illinois' Chicago College of Medicine called, "A Biblical Approach to Mental Health," funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. As reported in the Chicago Sun-Times, "the class examines how hope-filled Bible stories can and should substitute for the fatalistic Greek narratives that serve as case studies in traditional psychotherapy."
"The Greek notion of a tragedy is that people can't change," says Kaplan. "So if you're using stories that imply people can't change, what's the point of doing therapy?" He adds that the Western world "has it all reversed. They look at the Bible as being an enslaving doctrine. That's not the way we see it at all. It gives people free will. In the Greek world, people are fated. You can't possibly get over any dysfunction."
Dr. Joseph Flaherty, dean of UIC's College of Medicine and a professor of psychiatry, was quoted as saying the new program reflects American values and priorities. "[F]or most people in America, particularly more than other Western countries, religion is very important to them, and they have beliefs in God," he says. "And as a medical school with a very diverse student body and patient body, we have to recognize that."
Used by permission of Breaking Christian News www.breakingchristiannews.com / Source: Mike Thomas - Chicago Sun-Times
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