An Interdisciplinary Approach to Empathy in the Nathan’s Narrative, 2 Samuel 12:1-15

Abstract

Empathy as an essence of therapeutic relationships has been drawn attention not only by psychotherapists, philosophers, educators, medical professionals, but also by theologians and pastoral counselors. From the tradition of self psychology of Heinz Kohut, empathy has been dealt with an observational and therapeutic tool to bring information and healing in the clinical environment. Also Edmund Husserl in the phenomenological stream reveals “higher psychic sphere” to transcend one’s own mental state and to remain reciprocal intersubjectivity. Nathan’s storytelling allows David to enter into the poor man’s inner world through his intuitive imagination. David re-experienced the poor man’s suffering from unfairness and was able to access rich man’s misconducts and greedy mind through Nathan’s prophetic metaphor and direct address. Marion Taylor points out Nathan’s parable as a teaching model of empathic understanding in the biblical context. It, however, can be debatable for readers to regard David’s compassion as authentic empathy in terms of lack of reciprocal intersubjectivity. Nathan’s narrative informs us of inspirable pastoral implications for Korean pastoral caregivers, in particular, how to bring empathy in faith community and how to improve empathy with another in spiritual blindness. Awareness about power dynamics in empathic relationships can be one of effective strategies to improve pastoral care-givers and counselors’empathic understanding.