Title:
Magisterium and psyche: interface and relative emphasis in the formation programs of Catholic seminaries in North America
Author:
Hendrikus A. Verbakel
Committee Member:
Joanne Marie G. Greer
Committee Member:
James Egan
Committee Member:
Melvin C. Blanchette
Committee Member:
Lee Joyce Richmond
Degree Granting Institution:
Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Loyola University Maryland
Date Created:
1992
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
reformatted digital
Abstract:
This exploratory study investigated the relative emphasis on formation directives and developmental psychology of young adulthood, in the education of candidates for the priesthood in Roman Catholic college-level seminaries in North America. As basis for this investigation the following elements were used: 1) a content analysis of Vatican II documents, post-Vatican II directives and priestly formation programs as developed by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and 2) selected areas of male psychodynamic developmental theory and psychopathology. A questionnaire was developed, focusing on three crucial areas of potential conflict between male developmental needs and seminary formation activities: 1) intimacy/sexuality, 2) autonomy/mastery, 3) psychological boundary maintenance. Selected by cluster sampling, 124 respondents (N=124) from 39 theological institutes participated in this study. In addition to the questionnaire, twenty face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with faculty members of four randomly selected theological institutes in the Northeast of the United States. Analysis of the data, using Factor Analysis and Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) showed a valuing among the respondents of a classical set of sublimations for intimacy/sexuality and autonomy/mastery, as handed down by the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church. Besides this "traditional-religious" factor, the research showed an awareness among the respondents with regard to "personal and ministerial integration" within the candidate for the priesthood; an awareness which coincided with the major concern among faculty members: psychological fragility of the present population of seminarians. With regard to psychological boundary maintenance the results of this study showed a number of "red flags" involving strict separation between internal and external forums. These involved numerous overlaps between teaching, administration, spiritual direction, confession, psychotherapy, and formation direction in personnel deployment.
Subject:
Theological seminaries--United States
Subject:
Clergy--Training of
Subject:
Theological seminaries
Subject:
United States
Subject:
Catholic Church--Clergy--Training of--United States
Subject:
Catholic Church
Subject:
Theological seminaries--Faculty
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Level:
Doctoral
Discipline:
Pastoral Counseling
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Identifier:
VerbakelHA-92
