What's the point of psychologists and self-help books when we have Saints and their wisdom ??

Psychology literally means the study of the soul, and modern psychology does not need to be materialistic, even though many idiots might pretend it does.

How on earth did you get that from my post?

Because you claim psychology offers an effective alternative to genuine spirituality.

No I didn't, I claimed that psychology can help someone to develop spiritually - often in a more effective way than religion. I didn't say psychology is a replacement for spirituality.

Well. Fucking. Put.

Fucking rekt

>believing in science

>even thought many idiots might pretend it does
you mean like, every psychologist?

Because their wisdom is highly abstract, understood by extremely few people and requires you to accept their religious dogmas.

400 pages of Maximus the Confessor discussing just what percentage of God Pseudo-Dionysius thought Jesus was isnt going to help you manage inconsiderate friends nor are the writings of monastery dwelling virgins going to help you communicate better with your wife.

The Saints are great for interpreting scripture and Christian dogma but little else.

Not all saints are so obtuse though. St. Benedict's writing, for instance, is very practical.

>rote obedience
Fedora tipping intensifies.

Because psychology doesn't require a radical inner change. Because it doesn't make worldview demands. Because it doesn't require self denial and self sacrifice. It's a lot easier. It takes the same space within the human life, but it's a lot less demanding.

You can have both. One of the Catholic brothers that ran my old high school had a masters in psychology. And Etty Hillesum, a Jewish mystic, initially became religious through her encounters with Jungian psychoanalysis.

Yeah It really helped me turn my faltering monastery around and show that its alright to whip children so they understand the seriousness of the Gospels.

Silliness aside though Im not saying that there is no value in the works of the saints only that unless you are looking for very specific instructions on Christian living and scripture interpretation they wont be all that targeted.

What are some of the practical advice and methods Benedicts work would prescribe to the woman whose husband has stopped making and effort and spends more time in the office?

No. But many.

I would say systematically applied philosophy, but it's much of a muchness, really.

When you are ready to change, psychotherapy might be able to help you stop thinking in pure memes.

Implyinig throwing in "rote obedience" was not a perfect example of meme-tier thinking in itself.

A good amount of saints that have writings maintained their baptismal innocence and so they know little about dealing with vices, addictions, etc. Also, their writings usually discourage facing vice in a weaning approach (like nicotine patches would), and more encourage busying yourself with good habits and leaving no opportunity to experience temptation, which on paper is practical, but usually leads to a major fall if you're put in a situation of prolonged temptation with no way.out.

It was not. Most religious services are exactly that. You follow the ritual, which doesn't even contain enough passion or mystery to invoke awe or even deep contemplation.

>Because psychology doesn't require a radical inner change. Because it doesn't make worldview demands. Because it doesn't require self denial and self sacrifice
If those are what you need, then yes, it does require all those things.

Because I live in the modern world, and don't care how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or if Jesus and the Father are of the same substance or essence or whatever.

I have a hard time imagining how ancient or medieval religious writing could possibly be relevant to my life.

>be psychopathology
>influenced by left continental thought
>left continental thought like Foucault has attacked some of the very categories used in psychopathology e.g. madness
>DSM regularly undergoes changes in what it puts there, such that past major disorders are now politically incorrect

Sure looks like scientific progress.

I've thought about finding revelation into saints literature but all I found was contradiction and tens of pages of mumbo jumbo.

I guess the only useful stuff I've taken from countless lectures was something a dude claimed God told him: “keep thy mind in Hell and despair not,” actually some say it's: “keep thy mind in Hell, despair not,”

You have it yes, improve it - it's not going to last forever it will die once your brain cease to function.

I mean if you talk about some metaphysical energy that's immaterial and floats behind your head while transcending your brain matter in order to manifest itself, not even ancients believe in that - for them soul was as long as you were breathing after it it was gone.

What's the point of contacting angels when you can contact God directly and let His energies reflect into you?

> I have a hard time imagining how could possibly be relevant to my life.

This on Veeky Forums, of all places. How it feels to have knowledge and mind of a hongweibing?

One of the many answers to consider is that traditional role may require a lot more control and self-cultivation for many years than mere “role disobedience”.

If, by chance, you never thought about the reasons role-less life can be worse, have a watch of Zvyagintsev's “Loveless”. Or his previous movie. Or the one before it.

but rick and morty bro, and the latest theory from the smart goodthinkers

What is your point? That because the discussion within psychology is evolving around mental illness changes that it does no good? And so would you discard medical practice or massage techniques because they evolve over time? What exactly is your problem with it all and why do you need evidence of scientific progress occurring at the rate of X to show that a field of knowledge can be useful if applied?