An approach of Pastoral Psychology to the Shame Experience

Abstract

In this study, I outline a pastoral psychology for Korean shame, drawing on the pastoral-psychological perspective of Donald Capps, which is informed by Heinze Kohut’s formulations, and I further broaden Capps’ perspective to include Korean psychological constructs. Using the integrated perspective that I employ in exploring a psychology of the Korean shame experience, I propose distinctive pastoral implications for the Korean shame experience. Kohut’s formulations concerning shame in his self psychology, with emphasis on the selfobject’s empathetic resonance in self-selfobject relationships, have greatly influenced understanding of the potential care and healing of shame in the fields of pastoral care, counseling, and theology. Although he does not apply his self psychology to pastoral work directly, his research contributes to the enhancement of it, particularly in his focus on the interrelational nature of being human and healing through empathetic attunement. In line with the appreciation of Kohut’s insights, Capps, drawing on the work of Kohut, is concerned with a pastoral theology for healing shame with regard to the narcissistic self. His argument for a theology of shame and his suggested pastoral methodology for healing shame, in interdisciplinary dialogue with Kohut’s self psychology, are very useful for and congruent with my study of integrating the psychological examination of shame into appropriate pastoral care models. To interpret the Korean experience of shame properly from this perspective, I analyze Korean indigenous psychological constructs such as “uri” in connection to shame, and I refine and modify Kohut’s frameworks of shame for application to Korean culture. I also suggest distinctive pastoral implications for responding adequately to the shame experience in the “uri” culture by expanding Capps’ pastoral frameworks for a relevant application.