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A Christian Pathological Diagnosis on Addiction in terms of Sin and its Practical Implications

  • Journal of Counseling and Gospel
  • Abbr : Jocag
  • 2023, 31(1), pp.5-35
  • DOI : 10.17841/jocag.2023.31.1.5
  • Publisher : Korean Evangelical Counseling Society
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology > Pastoral Counseling
  • Received : January 30, 2023
  • Accepted : March 9, 2023
  • Published : March 30, 2023

Kyu Bo Kim 1

1총신대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Since human beings are created in the Image of God, human pathology cannot be understood, excluding God's existence and his creation order. A Christian pathology that considers the categories of sin, dis-order, and suffering enables a christian counselor to make a diagnosis in a holistic level regarding a counselee’s problem. This study proposes a christian pathology of addiction in terms of sin, and presents practical implications for biblical counseling. Addiction essentially is a state in which the ordo amoris established by God is broken. Addiction is a reality that reveals the idol of the heart derived from self-love, and which stems from the absence of true knowledge of God. The absence of the knowledge in turn leads to the loss of awe, and it causes the will for his own glory, which eventually makes people addict on a worldly thing. The primary implication of such understanding is that the ultimate help comes from Christ. Also theknowledge of God in Christ provides a cognitive interpretative framework, seeing everything with new eyes in God's order, giving emotional impression, and presenting a new way of life. This leads to a habit of piety that forms counter-addiction practices in the judgment of love. In that process, it is God’s calling that the church persistently takes care of the addicts within a redemption group and creates supportive culture wiping out the social stigma on addiction. This study is limited to the category of sin, and it is suggested that other categories of Christian pathology on addiction be addressed in subsequent studies.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.