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...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
1. VerfasserIn: Breslauer, S. Daniel 1942- (VerfasserIn)
Medienart: Elektronisch Aufsatz
Sprache:Englisch
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Veröffentlicht: 1976
In: Review of religious research
Jahr: 1976, Band: 18, Heft: 1, Seiten: 53-61
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Zusammenfassung: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.
ISSN:2211-4866
Enthält:Enthalten in: Review of religious research
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/3510580