AGC Logo

AGC Logo
Serving God and Country

Sunday, April 28, 2013

THEOLOGICAL TRUTHS IN AN UNBELIEVING WORLD

WELCOME TO THIS MONTHS' "AGC SHOFAR"
  This month's "Shofar" covers the second of three parts dealing with Combat Trauma, commonly called "PTSD."  While there is a lot of information out in reality and cyberspace on this subject, hardly anything is written about something that has shown to have merit and actually works and that is this axiomatic truth:  The cause of combat PTSD is a moral issue and not a psychological one.  Many Chaplains in the military have discovered this little known fact and are doing wonderful things as they counsel our fighting men and women in their personal journey to get back to a sense of normalcy.  However, no one is sharing their experiences, so the general population does not know or understand about this aspect of treating PTSD.
  As a result, Chaplain Libertay has articulated in this article a need and a plan which has already passed the test of research, time and effectiveness for our Sailor, Marine, Soldier and Airmen seeking help.  So, enjoy the second of three articles for this month's "Shofar" magazine. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SPIRITUAL! by Chaplain Tim Libertay

            By using the article “the” before the word “Spiritual,” I’m emphasizing there is an aspect to all of us which cannot be defined or articulated by modern science and the discipline of psychology.  It is beyond the scope of the collection of data, observation and classification systems.  Science deals with models based on observation.  Honestly, how does one quantify such concepts as “love,” “art,” “beauty,” “evil,” and “good?”  There are many more quantifying concepts, but few doubt these are real concepts nonetheless.  These are hard to qualify and to empirically give measurements which express why person A loves Person B twice or even three times more than Person C loves Person B just simply cannot be done.  In short, empirical and objective Science has its limits. 

    Furthermore, Psychology, Science and philosophy only observe things and propose methodologies to solve problems.  This discipline has no axiomatic truth claims, merely trends, probabilities and analysis.  This is why the answer must lie somewhere else.  To observe something intrinsic (is that possible?)  and then put out a solution is pure supposition.  Furthermore, the solutions that are put out at that point reflect the experiences, lack of experiences or even biases of the author.  It’s as if one puts together a car engine with only spark plugs and a cam shaft because that’s all the mechanic specializes in.  Common sense tells one that if a person has a bias against something
piritual or in the realm of theology they will not look for solutions in that field.

  This is exactly what happened a few centuries ago when a group of deists, atheists and agnostics exalted reason above natural revelation.  This group of French Enlightenment writers called the “Philosophes” paved the way for human excesses culminating in the French Revolution.  They gave “rational” explanations towards natural phenomena and because of their biases against God they postulated an alternative reality based solely on human reason.  To make matters worse, atheistic historians and philosophers have taken the writings and works of believing scientists like Newton, Keplar and DeCartes and stripped their Theistic context about our world around us and only kept their methods and observations of our physical world.  In other words, while agreeing with the science of believers, the philosophes did what they could to discredit the ontological reason behind empirical science.

  More importantly than this though, is for one to understand what has happened in our academic circles concerning spiritual truths.  Essentially in the past when ‘truth” discussions revolved around Theological and Biblical concepts, agnostic concepts from less than honest intellectuals omitted certain facts from academic pursuits.  For instance, how many of us in secular universities when we took basic philosophy were told that Voltaire and Rousseau had shown natural philosophy (science) and the Renaissance of the 18th century had triumphed over the superstition of the Reformation?  Who among us as we sat in our seats in our first science or philosophy class heard the professor say “The thunderstorm that terrified Martin Luther to start the Reformation ended up being explained as electricity during the Enlightenment of Benjamin Franklin” a few centuries later.   

            Truth be told, both Voltaire and Rousseau believed in God, but hated the Roman Catholic Church and organized religion.  Both lived terribly immoral lives and hated each other.  In other words, their morality determined their theology and so with their writings did away with a world view without a personal god.  Their lives are nothing but exploits of men who live as practical atheists with no moral restraints.  A sad commentary indeed on those who exalt human reason in the theoretical world, but use their intellect as an excuse to live in the depths of depravity and despair in the real one.  Such is human reason or “moral injury” without the context of theology behind it.

  Here in America this debate raged on in our seminaries and universities until finally the issue of spirituality and Theology became a forbidden topic in our academic culture.  It is ironic that the same historical religious academic system which propagated   “Universals” (a moral belief system that God is behind all truth) which eventually gave rise to the scientific method,  resulted in totally doing away with any talk or so called need of Theological truth. To wit: while the Christian educational system gave rise to modern science, modern science has now declared the realm of God and spirituality a forbidden or non-essential subject.

            There is a danger to this type of rationalism:  the possibility that one has by their very own biases left out a possible solution to a problem.  David Hackett Fischer writes: “The fallacy of the negative proof is an attempt to sustain a factual position merely by negative evidence.”  It occurs whenever a historian declares that “X is not the case,” and then proceeds to affirm or assume that not-X is the case.”[1]  In other words, that which we reject could possibly be the answer to that which one seeks after.  Such is the case with the “moral injury” portion of those who suffer from PTSD.

            A full understanding of moral injury has already been developed and discussed over almost two thousand years of Christianity.  To go down this road however is unacceptable for many who are clinicians because they have been acclimated to a certain mindset without absolutes and that is one of the things taught in Theology.  To this thought Fischer mentions another false logical premise and that is “The counter fallacy of argument ad novitam which is the appeal to novelty or modernity.”[2]  Furthermore, much of clinicians’ natural proclivities follow a bias against the Judean-Christian ethic and a belief of a personal God and that God as described in the Holy Scriptures.  In short: The Scriptures presuppose a different view of who man is and how he came to be and that is an unacceptable alternative for someone who is a psychologist, clinician or researcher.

            It is this view of man which tells us that the human race has a spiritual side and presupposes a God with right and wrong presuppositions of good and evil.  It is a totally different anthropology of who we are as humans and how did we get there.

            At this juncture many may be uncomfortable with the content.  However, keep in mind that 92 percent of all Americans have some type of belief in God.  Of these, 82 percent have some type of Judeo-Christian view of spirituality.  So even if the person reading this might not agree with the Theological concepts, the majority of the people you are trying to help do believe these things. There is a Scripture which states: Be wise as serpents, but harmless as doves.”[3]  What that means in our context is for one to essentially understand the situation, so one can help those who need help.   

            A century later, a man who never traveled further than a few miles from where he was born totally changed the paradigm on how we see life and the spiritual. His name was Immanuel Kant.   His contribution was we all have an innate understanding of morality without God and we are taught certain things about life and understanding of the supernatural by our culture.  Kant still is the darling of social engineers because if one does not like what is put into the minds of youth, then one can change the input and create a different society.  This is essentially the mission of many in public education where the university professors have become the high priests of a new social religion without a god and teachers have become their missionaries.

   A sample and demonstration of this kind of thinking now permeates our societies’ mores and customs that anything Christian automatically affects how we think as a culture.  Bishop John Paprocki of Springfield Illinois said it perfectly:

  So it is not a question of the sacred and the secular, properly understood, being in opposition to each other. The problem is an ideology of secularism laced with profanity, not in the sense of “profanity” as commonly understood to refer to foul language, but “profanity” as related to the “profane,” a word which comes from the Latin, pro + fano, literally, “out in front of the temple.” The “profane” is that which is excluded or excludes itself from God, from all that is holy.  Thus, our concern today is not with the secular world, but with a profane secularism that seeks to exclude God from the world outside the temple or church.[4]

  Furthermore, if a person of faith in Christianity even publically admits it, they are fair game for humiliation and overt ridicule.  In an article on “Cultural Describing Christophobia,” Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is vilified openly as he lives out his faith as a Christian:

  Tim Tebow is a target of irrational hatred, not because he’s an iffy quarterback at the NFL level, or a creep personally, or an obnoxious in your face proselytizer.  He draws hatred because he is an unabashed Christian, whose calmness and decency in the face of his Christophobic detractor’s drives them crazy… is a serious cultural problem in these United States.[5]

  While this is an example, it mirrors much of what society feels about Christians and Christianity.   The take away from this type of thinking is that anything Christian has nothing to contribute to anything and is totally unrelated to the real world.  Unless of course it can be blamed for a societies’ problems. 
  The logical conclusion of a society bred on Voltaire, Rousseau and Kant gives rise to a belief system that doesn’t need god or even spiritual truth.  Hence, it is no surprise that much of what we find in psychology and mental health is a follow on of this belief system.  Again, one needs to be careful of this type of paradigm because philosophically a man named Arthur Schopenhauer disproved much of Kant’s assertions. Schopenhauer argued:
  In every age much good morality has been preached; but the explanation of its raison d’etre has always been encompassed with difficulties.  On the whole we discern an endeavor to get at some objective truth, from which the ethical injunctions could be logically deduced; and it has been found to gravitate solely towards its own individual welfare, the idea of which in its entirety is designed by the term “blissfulness;” and this striving after self-satisfaction leads mankind by a path very different to the one morality would fain point out. [6]

  The Basis of Morality essential proves by reason that the road traveled by Kant and his progeny end up nowhere because there is no such thing as absolute truth and one cannot make any judgments on moral issues.   Worse yet, this type of thinking is based purely on selfishness.  The ultimate result is a society based on chaos because there is no truth or standard.  Hence, this is an empty and fruitless endeavor. 
              A search for life without absolute spiritual knowledge and truth can never answer the deep question of our existence.  Without spiritual truth and the knowledge of God’s grace and justice, humankind is left with a selfish desire to fend for itself.   From this perspective, we are nothing, but animals and have no moral compass.  Evil is merely a concept and cannot exist and therefore is only in the eye of the beholder and is purely subjective.   Since there is no god and absolute truths, both good and evil are simple societal constructs which can be undone by ourselves. 
  Are the modern day “Priests” and followers of this philosophy this blind?  Of course evil exists!  Does one’s ideology against the truths’ of Theology prevent one from acknowledging the simple truths of the cause of PTSD?  I submit an unequivocal “yes.”  The horrors of combat prove the inhumanity of man to man.   Without Biblical truth determining Spiritual and moral values, everything is relative and there is no absolute truth.  The alternative is a world devoid of anything of moral truth and leads towards viewing life in Communistic categories of social, economic and political only realities.
   With this new found perspective, a solution is still needed for the problems caused by combat trauma.   Let us now look at the work and research of others and put it into the proper perspective.    The results may be helpful for many seeking relief.
            In the early 90’s a new book came out that broke barriers of how one understood PTSD for combat vets.  In Jonathan Shay’s work “Achilles in Viet Nam-the undoing of character,” he articulated how combat changes people.  By using the illustration of Achilles in Homer’s “Iliad,” he showed by analogy how slowly a person loses their humanity and compassion and then becomes a new person in battle.[7]  I also came across this truth when doing my research with combat vets.  I succinctly remember one of my co-workers suffering from PTSD telling me “I could tell slowly, but surely I was losing myself.”  When asked why he didn’t do anything about it, he replied “I didn’t want to disappoint my friends who relied on me.”  One of the recurring themes of those in combat was the realization they were changing their “inner” voice. [8]
  Jonathan Shay is considered the “Father of PTSD” for many military psychologists and is often a guest in the military medical PTSD treatment circles.  From there many of his ideas and solutions to vet’s problems have given rise to many therapies and ideas of treatment…  Some good and some bad.   Before I say where I think this path is wrong, I first of all want to give credit to where credit is due.  Many military mental health professionals are true professionals and have a compassion for our military members suffering which has been translated into actual work.  Papers, workshops, books and the like have been published to address this issue.  From all of this things have been discovered and have added positive things; however it is a slow process.  Progress is slow and still is inconclusive at this juncture. 
  The amount of energy from these folks has been impressive and the volume of literature in the last ten years on this subject has mushroomed.  In contrast my own view of my colleagues in ministry in the military has not been very positive.  Some in Chaplain leadership have passed the buck and just let Mental Health run with the problem.  My own frustration is magnified when I talk to not only my Chaplain leadership but also those in my peer range.  Apathy is rampant and I feel a real opportunity to help our military men and women have been lost.  It’s like watching someone drown and just passively sit back and watch them go under the water for the final count.   I feel for those of us in religious circles, this is our clarion call to step forward and take charge.  
            The reason being is found in a simple and profound truth:  PTSD is a spiritual problem, not a psychological one.  To make matters worse, my colleagues are committing what I consider spiritual neglect.  Let me re-iterate: most of the problems in PTSD are not physical or psychological.  It is spiritual.  As a result of this axiomatic truth, there is a component in PTSD that everyone is afraid to address.  It is known as the “moral quandary” or “moral injury” part of the equation.  As my friend previous told me and I’ve verified it numerous times after in my research interviews, there comes a “Moral” imperative that is strained, stretched or even broken that combat brings up.  This is the key that often causes people to “snap” or “loose it” in their lives. 
            This is where every clergy worth their salt should be an expert in because this is the specialized area which all of Christendom and even Judaism has dwelt in for the past 3400 years. In fact up until about fifty years ago, this was a big part of philosophy which of course developed into the discipline of psychology.  The “Moral” aspect of this question is obvious, but now we have a generation which does not see the relationship with PTSD, morality and spirituality.  In short, it is a knowledge that is no longer considered a place at the table of science and the arts.  It has been relegated to second class status because it cannot be proven empirically or verified by charts, graphs and a statistical delta.  Therefore in the minds of many, it does not exist and therefore, is not valid.  It is a bias which maintains that anything religious, especially from the Judeo-Christian ethic has no value. 
    In fact, Christianity has been vilified to the point where the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater.  It is an institutional bias so great that anything considered from this standpoint is automatically wrong and like Copernicus from the scientific community of the past, is automatically discounted because of this perspective.  It is academic snobbery at its worse.  However, let’s go beyond bias and personal attitudes.  Let’s discuss what has been called “Moral Injury” from a different paradigm which is found to be useful.    

MORAL INJURY
            Moral injury is a term that many in the psychological field do not like to use.  First of all, in the field of psychology it is difficult to define.  Even in the presentations of the 2011 COSC conference, there were 3 different definitions by 3 different researchers.  Some even hate to use the term because they do not even think it exists because it cannot be quantified like other scientific endeavors.   However, for some this is a “Brave New World.”  Unfortunately, this is nothing new because this has already been addressed in numerous ways in numerous times for the past two thousand years. Furthermore, some would argue that this historical fact has no bearing in a scientific paper and is not related whatsoever to the topic of PTSD.   However, since morality has been brought into this equation, one needs to go back to the root of what is morality.  To understand this fundamental truth is essential.

 Morality posits a right and wrong.  This begs the question then as to who’s right or wrong.  As I’ve demonstrated there is indeed a spiritual component here which defies temporal or empirical definition.  While modernity struggles with this “fuzzy” notion, it has already been solved via Theological channels.  To make a choice of right or wrong posits a human response to a given situation.  If that is true, then the thought process has to have an origin.  Theologically, the most obvious of origins for humankind was found in the Garden of Eden as recorded in the Scriptures.  From there a moral choice was made which affected not only the first humans, but how humanity was to view reality after that.    

  The lesson from this theological truth is this: morality is based on the character and nature of God, not on what fallible humans think.  Humanity is at war with God’s principles and standards.  There are absolute spiritual truths and to go against them brings all sorts of consequences which affect one’s outlook and ability to live a balanced life.  Guilt, depression and other “internal” problems affect one’s health and well-being. There is a set of epistemological truths which is Theocentric and not anthropologically centered that yields answers.  The next chapter will deal with a new way of looking at this age old problem.  My experience and research has shown this way is the most effective in treating PTSD patients. 

A CAVEAT

            One must remember that there is a difference between religion and spirituality.   Some have advocated spiritual healing, but have left out some important parts.  For instance, Navy Chaplain Bill Cantrell in a panel stated in his presentation “Moral Injury: A Spiritual Perspective,” “ the spiritual dimension can be seen as an aspect of life, but is better understood as that which gives our lives their fullest meaning and their greatest energy.”  In his presentation he builds a strong case to show a spiritual dimension of PTSD injury.  He also advocates a strong affinity with a Center for Mind/Body Medicine which combines modern medicine with inner healing. The ability to deal with trauma by spiritual means is also a theme of Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor.   Another advocate for spiritual healing is the Deputy Chief of Navy Chaplain Margaret Kibben.  During the 2011 COSC conference, she stated the following:

 “Sometimes when a Sailor or Marine steps on the yellow footprints and the command diminishes what is important and replaces it with self, then the Sailor or Marine’s aperture becomes smaller and they look only on themselves and not as a bigger aperture of believing in something bigger than themselves. Without this, we lose hope and become more in despair.”

            After this quote, she then went onto explain how “spiritual fitness” for the Sailor and war fighter is important. 

  Unfortunately, while most Navy Chaplains and clergy in their Christian traditions and denominations talk in generic terms of how important it is to be “spiritual,” no one goes into any details.  The talk is usually crouched in non-offensive terms which avoid words like “sin,” “Christ,” “redemption” and “repentance.”  In other words, the things that are specific to Christianity are totally taken out.  That is like fixing a car engine with bad spark plugs and only using a screw driver.   Both descriptions are true, but woefully inadequate.  Perhaps both Chaplain Kibben and Cantrell didn’t address the specifics because they didn’t have the time, however to not mention any specifics was unfortunate. 
An Appeal to the Scriptures on the Nature of Humankind

  In the main premise of Chapter 2, one finds that not everything can be quantified, objectified or explained with empirical evidence.   As a result of this truth, this can explain why many of the current therapies and theories are not very effective in explaining, curing and treating PTSD.  It’s a lot like treating the symptoms of a cold caused by a virus with antibiotics; it may take care of a secondary infection, but doesn’t do anything about the root cause.   

  In order to properly understand PTSD, one has to also understand human nature and how we are made or wired.  Treating symptoms (i.e. lack of sleep, irritability, etc.) is the preferred method of many.  For instance on a lecture concerning the treatment of PTSD, Jonathan Shay made a case where those suffering from PTSD lacked the ability to get a good night sleep.  He then extolled the virtues of the then new drug “Ambient.”  After an hour session of discussing problems and symptoms of PTSD, his conclusion was if those suffering from PTSD could get a good night’s sleep using Ambient, then it would take care of the person’s problems.[9]   In short, drugs are the answer.

  However, drug therapy has now been shown not to work and is out of favor.[10]  While sleep is important, it misses the essential aspect of treatment.  It treats the symptom and does nothing with the root cause.   What then is the most fundamental aspect?  It is nothing new nor is it unique.  Up until a few decades it was considered THE cause and explanation for why we do what we do as people:  Sin.  Sin is a moral term and hence needs a theological explanation.  A proper understanding of this will bring to light how we function, how we think and thus, how we are able to get to the bottom of why people are so affected by personal trauma during combat.  Unfortunately this word and its theology have been simplified and vilified in all aspects of philosophy and science.  It is a word that is thrown around, but rarely understood in its true Biblical context.  Its understanding is paramount for understanding this problem however.  

HAMARTOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY

            A simple Bible lesson on Creation is in order.  As the story in Genesis 1-3 describes, God created man and women perfect.  Of all created beings, God created Adam and Eve (Humankind) with a special relationship.  They were created in God’s image (an autonomous personality having a soul and spirit) with the ability to communicate spiritually and have unhindered fellowship with God.  Even though man was a physical being, he also possessed a Spirit which is where the fellowship occurred.   As an autonomous being, Man’s personality (mind, emotions and will) was demonstrated through His soul (Greek: Psyche) as He communicated with God.  It was a perfect relationship.

God in His perfect will gave Man (actually Adam) tasks and prohibitions and it was Man’s duty to obey.  This fellowship was maintained as long as Man obeyed and it was broken once Man disobeyed God’s mandates.  Once Man broke God’s law, then “sin” was introduced into the world and it undid all of God’s perfection.  With an introduction of sin into the world, there were consequences of disobeying God.    God is Holy and because He is Holy, cannot have any imperfection in His presence. Hence, there was a separation between God and Man.  In punishment, God killed the ability to communicate with Man by making man’s spirit dead towards Him.  Even though Man maintained his life giving spirit, he could no longer approach and freely interact with God because of a sin nature.  In short, disobedience brought spiritual death and because the spirit and body are connected, it also brought eventual physical death.  

Even though there is this “deadness,” there is still some semblance of God’s image in us.  As imperfect personal beings made in the image of God, we still have the ability to communicate, think, feel, rationalize and understand internal truth as given to us by God.  It is this internal testimony of the image of God which gives each person a “moral compass.”  In other words, these are already written in the heart of each man, women and child born into this world, something which yearns for completion.  This is something which knows good and evil and desires “inner peace” and fulfillment.

Unfortunately, this inner knowledge does not have a perfect guide like Adam and Eve did before the fall.  They communicated perfectly in a perfect way with a perfect God.  After the fall or disobedience, we are on our own as for making decisions.  As a result, we as humans do things which we think will bring us happiness and fulfillment because it satisfies the desires of our flesh.   We no longer seek after spiritual truth, but substitute this truth with the thing we know best: our fleshly desires.  While sensual pleasures may be great for a short time, it does not bring fulfillment in the long run.  As one substitute’s fulfillment in sensual pursuits, the novelty wears off.  Some pursue after this type of fulfillment and never are content. 

All of us have something internal which tells what is good and evil because we are still made in the image of God, even if it is somewhat marred by sin.  If something happens which goes against this “inner” conscience, then it traumatizes the individual.  The event goes against everything that person knows inherently about God and His world.  The event causes a “searing” of one’s conscience which takes away any joy and peace.  While there may be no outside physical problems, it wreaks havoc with one’s view of reality and life.   No drugs, science or therapy can resolve this conflict.  It is something that is hard wired within us by our Creator.  It goes straight to the essence of who we are as individuals and as humans.

This is where the bias of psychology comes into play.  The trauma from going against something God has placed within us causes many internal problems in the individual.  The resulting feelings of depression or guilt come from true moral injury of having our consciences go through a “searing.”  Unfortunately modern psychology has convinced a willing public that morality is relative and guilt is non-existent and caused by breaking of outside societal norms as opposed to those real and natural feelings given to us by a personal God.
            In summing up this section, here are some theological truths about who we are as people:

1.     We are a three part being: body, soul (psyche) which comprises our mind emotions and will and a spirit. 
2.     We are made in the image of God, but that was marred by disobedience.  As a result of this, we have a sense of right and wrong, evil and goodness.  This gives us an innate ability to understand and know about spiritual issues. 
3.     This innate ability can sense God’s truth, but because of sin often cannot find its own way back to joy

                Of course there is much more to theology on the doctrines of Sin and Man.  However these are the issues that are important because without a proper understanding of these doctrines, then the solution to PTSD will be null and void.  As was mentioned before, PTSD is a spiritual issue and hence should be handled with spiritual truth.  To know the epidemiology of something is essential if one is to treat it  This doesn’t mean that the disease doesn’t affect other things.  Of course there is a psychosomatic effect from the initial PTSD which causes problems to a person’s physical condition.  In a previous passage I referred to Jonathan Shay’s solution for those with PTSD who couldn’t sleep.  The spiritual problem caused a psychosomatic response namely; lack of sleep and all that follows after it.   

  Psychosomatic illness is not new stuff.  In fact, this was realized 3,000 years ago in the Psalms.  The following passage describes how a person suffers both physically and in their psyche (soul), but knows how to seek after a solution.  Psalm 31:9-16 describes a person who is going through an emotional or stressful situation and it has affected their

health:

               Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress.  My eye is wasted away
               from grief, my soul and body also, for my life is spent with sorrow, and my
years from sighing.  My strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my 
body has wasted away…Make Thy Face to shine upon thy servant and save me in your lovingkindess
 
               One of the arguments against a theological approach is the use of the word “sin.”  This is a word many think is too judgmental and is not helpful to the problem.  If one has a proper view of theology, one can see it properly applied in its context, recognize it and then treat it.  Only then will the person suffering from it can find relief from its ill effects.  Keep in mind the effects of sin on one’s inner being can be suffering from another person’s sin and/or suffering from one’s own moral sin.  This little nuance is extremely important and a proper understanding will yield huge benefits in counseling.  This will be demonstrated in the next section.

Part Three will be included in next Months "Shofar." 



  [1] David Hackett Fischer, Historical Fallacies: Toward Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper and Row, 1970), 47. 
  [2] Ibid,  299.            
 
  [3]Matt 10:16. 
  [4] Speech given by John Paprocki during a Red Mass on the topic of “Threats to Religious Freedom: From Godless Communism to Profane Secularism,” Houston, TX., September 29, 2011.  
  [5]George Weigel, “Tim Tebow and Christophobia,” The Southern Cross, October 2011, Perspectives, p. 21. 
  [6]Arthur Schopenhauer, The Basis of Morality, (Minneola, NY: Dover Publications, 2005),  p. 8.
  [7] Jonathan Shay, Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character, (New York: Simon and Shuster, 1995),   xiii-xxiii.
  [8]Bob Freiberg, “Spiritual Warfare with the United States Navy SEALs: Confronting Them with Real World Missions of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” (D.Min dissertation, Talbot University, 2003), 91.                                                 17
[9] Jonathan Shay,  “Treating Those Who Suffer from PTSD” (lecture presented at the Navy Chaplain’s School, Senior Leadership and Management Course, Newport, R.I.), November 2004.
 
[10] Marcus Charuvastra, “PTSD- Innovative Medical Solutions for Mental Health Professionals” (Memo describing how pharmacologic therapies are not effective for long term management of PTSD, Los Angeles, CA), Mar 22, 2012.


    

1 comment:

  1. Is sin viewed as a specific action or just a disconnection from God and broken fellowship? Can't the only healing come from the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit? So isn't a key component to PTSD healing a conversion experience, redemption, and sanctification? I'm not discounting counseling, but it seems like counseling without meeting god and accepting him is an incomplete healing and that allows for continued sin and for some self inflicted death.

    ReplyDelete

Total Pageviews