What is the relationship between psychology and spirituality in Confession?

by Bishop Damaschin Luchian

Bp. Damaschin was an Archimandrite at the time of the interview

What is the relationship between psychology and spirituality? Many times in the Sacrament of Confession, we find that people come to talk with their spiritual father, not necessarily to confess their sins. 

Yes, we would need to spend as much time as we have, and as much time again in order to discuss this relationship between psychology and spirituality. Nonetheless, I will try to say a few ideas. Especially in recent times, knowledgeable people who have studied the psychological domain–in a sincere and honest way–have reached many conclusions, many discoveries, observing the powers of the soul, which–not in an academic sense, not using scientific categories–the Church Fathers discovered much, much earlier. When a nun who is close to our soul, who deals with this problem, read Saint Isaac the Syrian, she said: “Wow, how fitting this is for emotional intelligence,” or “how fitting this is for rational knowledge.” Thus, long ago, the Church Fathers discovered elements–by God’s power and their pastoral work and attention to themselves–they discovered the way in which sin affects the powers of the soul. 

Psychology can help us see the causes of our soul’s wounds–not always all of them and not always the ultimate causes; it can help us see the interaction between different psychological states in terms of conditioning; however, psychology can never forgive sins. Maybe it helps to heal the symptoms of sin, but it cannot bring healing in depth. Forgiveness of sins is only obtained through the Sacrament of Confession. 

I have said it before like this: if I were like Elder Paisius Olaru or Blessed Paisios the Athonite, then I would not need discoveries from the psychological domain; but if we are not, then we need to humble our minds and use, with discernment and attention, the discoveries of honest psychologists, and again we must use them attentively, without exaggerating, and not necessarily with everyone–we can help certain people using these methods. So, I am saying that they are not obligatory but they can be beneficial for certain people. 

And there is another aspect from the side of the spiritual child: if he over-psychologizes confession, that is, if he does not name, does not target sin–he does not identify and name it–and he transforms confession, as you mentioned, into a discussion, a description of his psychological states, then again as I mentioned, the root of sin which lies at the base of these psychological states is not targeted.  

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