Psychology and the Cross

To the initial astonishment of Catholic moral theologians a century ago, purging psychology of its amoral and antireligious errors was found to actually confirm age-old Catholic teaching about the nature of man while providing invaluable guidance on the development of personality. In this trail-blazing book, first published in 1958, Fr. G. Emmett Carter has assembled the wisest Christian thought showing how psychology can aid the Christian in achieving maturity, overcoming character defects, and conquering emotional disorders.Fr. Carter - founding director of Montreal's St. Joseph Teachers College - begins with a layman's survey of modern psychology, revealing the biases during the age of Freud that caused him and many others to hold erroneous positions on the nature of man, religion, and God. He then shows how sound psychology draws all its strength from Christianity. Psychology, he writes, explains why we are anxious and afraid; Christianity provides the remedy. Fr. Carter goes on to reveal: How self-analysis is beneficial in leading to wisdom, peace, and lasting securityWhere the Bible itself provides us with a blueprint for the study of man's psychic forcesThe main findings - and chief errors - of contemporary psychologyHow connecting religion and psychology leads to maturity, which is the meeting place of the true man and the true ChristianThe centrality of the doctrine of Original Sin to understanding the psychological makeup of the individualGuidelines for parents and educators for bringing young people to maturityWhy suicide always represents a fundamental error of thoughtHow your unconscious mind operatesMost notably, you will learn to maintain consistent motivation to attain Christian perfection. You will also learn how to overcome antisocial behavior and how to foster a healthy ego.