A Psychological Commentary on the Article: Untangling Spiritual Contradictions Through the Psychology of Lived Paradox: Integrating Theological Diversity in the Old Testament with Durand’s Framework on the Imaginary

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Kam C, Bellehumeur CR. A Psychological Commentary on the Article: Untangling Spiritual
Contradictions Through the Psychology of Lived Paradox: Integrating Theological Diversity
in the Old Testament with Durand’s Framework on the Imaginary. J Ment Health Clin Psychol
(2020) 4(2): 1-4
Commentary Article Open Access
Page 1 of 4
www.mentalhealthjournal.org
JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH
AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
A Psychological Commentary on the Article: Untangling Spiritual
Contradictions Through the Psychology of Lived Paradox: Integrating
Theological Diversity in the Old Testament with Durand’s Framework
on the Imaginary
Christopher Kam*, Christian R. Bellehumeur
Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Canada
Article Info
Article Notes
Received: April 04, 2020
Accepted: April 21, 2020
*Correspondence:
Christopher Kam, Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Canada; Email:
ckam060@uottawa.ca.
© 2020 Kam C. This article is distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The tension of integrating proactivity and passivity in response
to ever changing situations in the world can be addressed from
multiple disciplines. The article Untangling Spiritual Contradictions
Through the Psychology of Lived Paradox: Integrating Theological
Diversity in the Old Testament with Durand’s Framework on the
Imaginary addresses the healthy integration of proactivity and
passivity both from a twofold (theological and anthropological)
perspective. It can be further enriched with contemporary empirical

To summarize the theological perspective of this integration, the
article explored how the theological stream of Wisdom Theology
in the Old Testament emphasizes choice, training and discipline,
diligent pursuit, discerning the righteous and the wicked, and
divine justice and theodicy while the theological stream of Promise
Theology emphasizes building trust in God, expectant passivity,
God’s protection, ceasing from anxiety, and safety in God. In terms
of the anthropological perspective of this integration, the article
outlined how the construct of the imaginary is relevant to one’s
relationship with God as well as others, as it is a dynamic force
that creates images and symbols and is represented by particular
verbs and actions. The Heroic Imaginary Structure of the human
         
          
outcome, striving, initiative and action, separating good and evil,



a fortress, peaceful rest, and relaxation1,2.
The following tables (A and B) outline the parallels between
these theological and anthropological analyses on the integration of
proactivity and passivity3.
Table A: Parallels Between Wisdom Theology and the Heroic Structure of the
Imaginary
Wisdom Theology Heroic Imaginary Structure
Choice Actualizing an Outcome
Training and Discipline Striving
Diligent Pursuit Iniave and Acon (and Producon)
Discerning the Righteous and the Wicked Separang Good from Evil
Divine Jusce and Theodicy Conquering One’s Obstacles

Kam C, Bellehumeur CR. A Psychological Commentary on the Article: Untangling
Spiritual Contradictions Through the Psychology of Lived Paradox: Integrating
Theological Diversity in the Old Testament with Durand’s Framework on the Imaginary. J
Ment Health Clin Psychol (2020) 4(2): 1-4 Journal of Mental Health & Clinical Psychology
Page 2 of 4
Table B: Parallels Between Promise Theology and the Myscal
Structure of the Imaginary
Promise Theology Myscal Imaginary Structure
Building Trust in God Inmacy (and Solidarity)
Expectant Passivity Passivity
God’s Protecon Refuge as A Fortress
Ceasing from Anxiety Peaceful Rest
Safety in God Relaxaon
In addition to a theological perspective and


from theology and anthropology will have very concrete
implications at the individual level for everyday psychology.
As many spiritual seekers have daily challenges in their
capacity to be regularly aware and live a spirituality of
paradox4 according to their ideals, we propose that the

relevant to this issue.
Flow involves a type of immersive focus on an activity
that involves seemingly effortless attention and skill in
mastering challenges5. It is intrinsically rewarding and
      
intense focus and concentration, a merging of action
and awareness, an increased sense of control, a loss
of self-consciousness, an altered sense of time, and an
autotelic enjoyment of the activity6,7. Some autotelic
       
enjoyment of challenges, intrinsic motivation, persistence,
curiosity, low self-centeredness, attentional control,
and the transformation of boredom and tedium7,8. Some

similar for people regardless of socioeconomic status, age,
culture, or ethnicity9-11.
Flow has some parallels with the aforementioned
theological and anthropological perspectives on integrating
       
the person’s abilities to deal with them12. If the challenges
         
the skills are too high in comparison with the challenge,
boredom occurs. In situations where both the challenges
and skills are low, apathy emerges. Only when a person is
in a condition where a high level of challenge meets with a
    
can be comparable to when a person overly emphasizes
Wisdom Theology without matching it with Promise
Theology in their spiritual relationship with God. When this



of the heroic imaginary structure needing to be matched
(to better balance) with the mystical imaginary structure

systemic) imaginary structure. In the synthetic imaginary
structure, there is a harmonious coexistence of both
imaginary systems without the exclusion of the other1-3.
Furthermore, Durand’s framework on the imaginary refers

of opposite elements) in order to describe the essence of
the synthetic category. This structure is well described
         
        


with regard to the self in relationship with God and others.
In terms of the self, one can see that
      
the self is more complex than it had been before. It is by
becoming increasingly complex that the self might be said
to grow. Complexity is the result of two broad psychological
processes: differentiation and integration. Differentiation
  
oneself from the other. Integration refers to its opposite: a
 
self. A complex self is one that succeeds in combining these
opposite tendencies”5.
The synthetic category echoes Csikszentmihalyi’s work
        
of theology (Wisdom and Promise). On the one hand,
         
because overcoming a challenge inevitably leaves a person
feeling more capable, more skilled (…), more a unique
   5. This aspect echoes the
heroic structure of imaginary along with many elements of
wisdom theology (such as choice, training and discipline,
and diligent pursuit). On the other hand,
“Flow helps to integrate the self because in that state of
deep concentration consciousness is unusually well ordered.

on the same goal. Experience is in harmony. And when the
         
not only internally but also with respect to other people and
to the world in general”5.
This aspect echoes the mystical structure of the
imaginary along with many elements of Promise theology
(such as solidarity, peaceful rest, relaxation, and intimacy).
In terms of relationships, if someone is too preoccupied
with Wisdom Theology in their relationship with God and
neglects Promise Theology, they will rely on their own skill,
knowledge, and efforts to attain intimacy with the divine. If
the opposite is true, and they proportionally overemphasize
Promise Theology at the cost of Wisdom Theology, they will
       
(such as contemplation) and not proactively pursue certain
spiritual disciplines such as intellectual study, memorization
of Scripture, or concretely helping the poor (doing acts

Kam C, Bellehumeur CR. A Psychological Commentary on the Article: Untangling
Spiritual Contradictions Through the Psychology of Lived Paradox: Integrating
Theological Diversity in the Old Testament with Durand’s Framework on the Imaginary. J
Ment Health Clin Psychol (2020) 4(2): 1-4 Journal of Mental Health & Clinical Psychology
Page 3 of 4
of charity) in their spiritual journey to establish intimacy
rhythms with the divine. Both are needed to enter a relational
         
preoccupied with the Heroic Imaginary emphasis in their
relationships and neglects the Mystical Imaginary structure,
that person will strive too much and try to force things to
happen with no organically emergent emotions in their
relationships. Conversely, if a person is too preoccupied with
the Mystical Imaginary structure, they will be too passive
and not discipline themselves with needed relational
structure. What is needed is a harmonious integration of
       
one’s friendships. If the heroic elements of a relationship
are overemphasized with low mystery from the mystical
elements, boredom can result in the relational bond. If the
mystical elements are overemphasized with low skills of
mastery from the heroic elements, anxiety can result in the
relational bond. What is required is a synthetic imaginary
structure that has a good union of both3. In terms of empirical
research, studies show that highly conscientious individuals
are more likely to spend time mastering challenging tasks13
         
Heroic Imaginary Structure. Research also shows that
         
active problem solving strategies in everyday problems14,
which is another Heroic element. Conversely, studies show
 
in the experience15, which is associated with the Mystical
Imaginary Structure, where one does not force things to
happen, but instead feels like one is absorbed in a particular
activity.

some support for the theological and anthropological

 
namely the explicit and implicit, which are available for
integration16-20. On the one hand, the explicit information
system involves higher order cognitive processing in the
prefrontal and medial temporal lobe structures of the
brain that utilize rules, verbal processing, and conscious
awareness. These parts of the brain acquire, represent,
and consciously processes knowledge. These traits are
similar to themes in Wisdom Theology as well as the
Heroic Imaginary Structure. On the other hand, the implicit
information system involves the basal ganglia and other
regions of the brain that involve skill-based knowledge
not amenable to verbal processing. The implicit system’s
nonconscious nature is nonverbal, experienced based,
and sometimes called the emotional brain. These traits
are similar to themes in Promise Theology as well as the
Mystical Imaginary Structure.
Both of these two information processing systems,
explicit and implicit, have multiple connections, with a
region of great integration happening in the dorsolateral
prefrontal cortex18. When the brain is doing creative
activity, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex organizes
cognitive and emotional information and deliberately
applies both, resulting in modes of thinking that are
spontaneous with novel and appropriate expression. These
traits of integration are similar to themes of the Synthetic
Imaginary Structure as well as an overall healthy integration
of Wisdom Theology and Promise Theology, captured in
the life of Jesus in the Gospels of the New Testament.

implications that inform the theology and anthropology of
proactive and passive integration. Since there are multiple
parallels between these three frameworks, it is very
plausible that the conditions for integration in cognitive
neuroscience transfer over to the conditions for integration

performance to occur, there needs to be an appropriate
matching level of skills and challenges. This can inform
spirituality by asking the question: “when do you experience
    
one’s relational health by asking the question: “when do
       

ingredients created the conditions for the phenomenology
  
notion of constant feedback, which is key in fostering
5, to help create more conditions for it in
the future. Note that feedback is linked to the process of
regulation (which refers to the synthetic structure) which
combines both production (heroic structure) and solidarity
(mystical structure)21. Furthermore, the spiritual journeyer
can emphasize more Wisdom Theology or Promise
Theology depending on what a person is neglecting in
their relationship with God. The relational journeyer can
emphasize more of the Heroic Imaginary Structure or
the Mystical Imaginary Structure (depending on which is
neglected) in order to experience more of the Synthetic
Imaginary Structure in their relationships. This capacity
to embrace the co-existence of opposites is considered
optimal for both global health and a healthy spirituality22-24.
       
Flow proneness is related to life satisfaction, intrinsic
motivation, enjoyment, and psychological well-being9,14,25-27.
     
linked to increased functioning, satisfaction with life, and
a sense of competence28,29   
mental health, some of them can possibly transfer over to
one’s spiritual journey in one’s relationship with God as
well as one’s relationships with others as one pursues the
integration of proactivity and passivity.

any institution in the making of this article.
There has also been no funding for this article.

Kam C, Bellehumeur CR. A Psychological Commentary on the Article: Untangling
Spiritual Contradictions Through the Psychology of Lived Paradox: Integrating
Theological Diversity in the Old Testament with Durand’s Framework on the Imaginary. J
Ment Health Clin Psychol (2020) 4(2): 1-4 Journal of Mental Health & Clinical Psychology
Page 4 of 4
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