Transcending fear and anxiety : the great cleanup

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Authors

Dreyer, Yolanda

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Springer

Abstract

This article demonstrates that a state of anxiety, which includes fear, can be harmful and destructive not only on the personal but also on the communal and societal levels. Democratic South Africa (post-1994), a highly religious country, is a case in point. Rather than experiencing and conveying to others the positive, life-affirming effect of faith, pervasive anxiety and fear have taken hold of the people, the effect of which is disruptive and destructive. The author argues that the challenge is to transcend fear and anxiety, participate in “the Great Divine Cleanup,” and touch the lives of others with a message of freedom and hope.

Description

This article is based on a paper read at a conference of the New Directions in Pastoral Theology group hosted October 5–7, 2016, at Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey.

Keywords

Violent crime, Life-affirming faith, Pastoral care, Anxiety, Fear

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Dreyer, Y. Transcending Fear and Anxiety: The Great Cleanup. Pastoral Psychology (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-018-0819-z. NYP.