The use of psychology in roman catholic seminary admissions in Southern Africa
- Authors: Mitchell, Gregory Paul
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Catholic Church -- Africa, Southern -- Psychological aspects -- Congresses
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51344 , vital:43266
- Description: Psychological assessment forms part of Roman Catholic seminary admissions in Southern Africa. The present study sought to explore and describe the perceptions and experiences of the role, purpose, and nature of the use of psychology in Roman Catholic seminary admissions in the territory of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. A qualitative research design was selected, which utilised the grounded theory method. Church authorities and clinicians, recruited by means of purposive snowball sampling, were interviewed in individual semi-structured interviews. The findings were interpreted in relation to the narrative of a vocation to the Roman Catholic priesthood, international practice guidelines, as well as literature regarding the context of the Southern African Roman Catholic Church. Proposed guidelines for this process in Southern Africa were generated based on the experiences of the participants and this iterative process of thematic analysis. Potential guidelines, grounded in the research data, emerged in the following focus areas: the vocation to the priesthood, contextual and systemic factors, the clinician, the assessment process, factors to be assessed, the psychological report, the decision to admit to seminary, feedback, and psychology in formation. These are recommended to the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference in draft form to be implemented in a participatory manner. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
A psychobiographical study of John Henry Newman
- Authors: Mitchell, Gregory Paul
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Newman, John Henry, 1801-1890 , Cardinals -- England -- Biography , Authors, English -- 19th century -- Biography
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9981 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021145 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021085
- Description: This study is a psychobiographical study, aiming to explore and describe the life of John Henry Newman (1801-1890), a theologian, priest, and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, through the application of Erik Erikson’s theory of Psychosocial Development. Newman is a significant figure in the English-speaking Christian world and his life and thought remains of interest and importance, particularly in the fields of philosophy, theology, ecclesiology and education. Newman was beatified in 2010 and therefore this study also considers the hagiographical nature of biographical data. This study utilises a qualitative single case study approach and the subject was selected through purposive sampling based on interest value. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources to enhance validity. The data were analysed by organising and reducing information obtained regarding Newman’s life and then displaying it for discussion. The study considers Newman’s life, reconstructed from birth, through adolescence and adulthood to his death and also considers his posthumous legacy. The main themes of discussion revolve around Newman’s development of his religious identity and his life as a churchman and an academic. It considers how a psychosocially functional individual such as Newman manifests certain dystonic, maladaptive or malignant tendencies such as doubt, shame, guilt and overextension, and how these impact the formation of religious identity and the experience of God and the spiritual life. Basic trust, celibate intimacy and generativity emerged as three significant areas of importance in the Newman’s life and identity. The study highlighted the value of psychobiographical studies and of Erikson’s theory in understanding development. Recommendations for future research in this field are made in the hope of further uncovering and understanding personality, religious identity and psychosocial development.
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- Date Issued: 2014