A Note on a Theory of Personality Disorder I want to apply the Augustinian-Niebuhrian doctrine of sin to personality disorder. According to this doctrine, pride and concupiscence are the constitutive elements of sin, with concupiscence arising as the result of our pride and distrust of God. Terry D. Cooper (pp. 68-70) argues that Gerald May's theory of addiction provides a new paradigm for understanding sin. (See also Sin as Addiction.) "Gerald May has provided an excellent analysis of the precondition of addiction. He offers, in my view, a very insightful contemporary retelling of the Augustinian story of sin. Humanity's inevitable, but not necessary, turning away from divine love sets up an imbalance within each of us. We are off center and, as a consequence, attach ourselves to finite goods, which leave us restless and insatiable. We develop a tolerance for these temporary fixes and avoid the source of our dilemma--distrust in our Creator" (pg. 70). Under this theory, personality disorders would be defined as combinations of compulsive attachments (addictions) to certain specific finite goods. So, the "Dependent Personality" would be defined by their compulsive attachments (addictions) to say: some strong figure who will provide the resources for their survival and happiness nurturance support help from other people encouragement a spouse being loved a competent partner or caretaker staying close to the caretaker an intimate relationship subservience a dependent relationship subordination placating and pleasing a caretaker I believe that what Cooper says applies very well to personality disorder: "Having pridefully replaced God with the self and its own anxiety-reducing strategies, we actually increase our anxiety and hence, drive ourselves more deeply into our compulsive attachments." Therapy, then, would consist of acknowledging our addictions to certain specific finite goods and opening ourselves up to the possibility of grace, breaking those compulsive attachments, and putting God back at the center of our lives. In other words, we can worship God by resisting the temptations of our compulsive attachments and aversions. "People often notice that the twelve steps look like phases in the Christian program of renewal. You admit powerlessness, give yourself over to God, confess wrongdoing, make amends, seek growth in grace, and witness to others. Through every phase, you consciously depend on the will and power of God" (Plantinga, pg. 141). Idols of the Types Terry D. Cooper (2003). Sin, Pride, and Self-Acceptance: The Problem of Identity in Theology and Psychology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Gerald May (1988). Addiction and Grace. San Francisco: Harper and Row. Cornelius Plantinga (1995). Not the Way It's Supposed to Be : A Breviary of Sin. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans.

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