A theory of hope based upon Gabriel Marcel with implications for the psychiatrist and the minister

Abstract

The problem of this dissertation is to formulate a theory of hoping, based upon Gabriel Marcel's theoretical analysis of hope, and to indicate what implications this theory of hoping has for the work of the psychiatrist and the minister. To study hope, or the hoping process, necessarily involves the consideration of: (1) the conditions of hope's occurence; (2) the distinctive indicators of hoping, in contrast to other modes of expectation; and (3) the dynamic consequences of hoping. Gabriel Marcel's analysis of hope considers these problems, as well as others; and it, therefore, provides a foundation for further study. The general procedure of the study has been to summarise Marcel's theoretical analysis of hope. Based upon this summary, a descriptive theory of hope was formulated. Implications were then drawn from this theory and related to the work of the psychiatrist and the minister [TRUNCATED]