교회 여성의 종교적 정신병리에 대한 고찰

A study of church women s religious psychopathology

In church women’s lives religious belief and conviction can be appeared in the mature attitude or distorted attitude. We experience that creative aspect and pathological aspect of religion coexist in the process of growth. Human being can grow through religious suffering. However, psychopathological phenomena are not always helpful for human being’s growth. Rather they can reinforce an immature way of thinking and regressive behavior. In fact, many church women show the immature attitude toward self, neighbor, world and God. Therefore in this essay we investigated how distorted religious beliefs have influence upon church women’s whole personality. Some church women have th problem of excessive self-denial. Because they do not understand human being’s sinfulness and the meaning of sacrifice correctly, they become to lose ego-strength and underestimate themselves. Also, church women often condemn other person in religious prejudice and ungenerous attitude. Generally such an attitude arises from a distorted religious belief and conviction. And some church women fail to lead a mature life because they can not distinguish reality from illusion. They can not have scientific way of thinking, so their beliefs can reinforce superstitious attitude. Because they lack cognitive complexities, they do not understand the meaning of Bible in metaphysical dimension. And some church women who have fanatic beliefs try to solve their own problem too easily by subordinating themselves to outer authority. In the end, all this kind of distorted religious attitudes oppress church women’s lives and interfere their personal growth.