Abraham Maslow's Category of Peak-Experience and the Theological Critique of Religion
Abraham Maslow claims that his categories of "Peaker" and "Non-Peaker" are relevant to the study of religion. He sees the theological task to be that of communicating peak-experiences to nonpeakers. By testing Maslow's understanding of the peak-experience against what theolo...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
1976
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 1976, Volume: 18, Issue: 1, Pages: 53-61 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Abraham Maslow claims that his categories of "Peaker" and "Non-Peaker" are relevant to the study of religion. He sees the theological task to be that of communicating peak-experiences to nonpeakers. By testing Maslow's understanding of the peak-experience against what theologians say they are doing, this claim can be investigated. This study focuses on two theologians: Abraham Heschel from the Jewish tradition and H. Richard Niebuhr from the Christian tradition. In significant ways their internal critique of religion fits Maslow's categories. But his categories do not explain the equally significant divergences between them. These differences stem from the different needs of the institutions they represent. The theologian, it would appear, does not merely seek to communicate the peak-experience to nonpeakers but also to change his religious institution so that it becomes more conducive to peak-experiences. Such a finding increases the scope of Maslow's categories: they become descriptions of the growth of institutions as well as of the growth of individuals. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3510580 |