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PhD (Pastorale Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus The theme of this study is: Unprocessed emotional pain in the life of the elderly: ʼn Pastoral study. The overarching objective of this study is to formulate a strategic theoretical model for the pastoral guidance of the elderly person with unprocessed emotional pain to a better quality of life on the emotional, physical and spiritual levels. The study is based on the pastoral-theological model of Richard Osmer. The following four tasks are suggested by Osmer: the interpretive task, descriptive task, normative task and the pragmatic task. The interpretive task: This task is dealt with by means of a literature study in Chapter 2. The emphasis of this task is on supplementary insights from related sciences regarding the theme of this study. From sociology, reference was made to the human aging process within a social context, in which emotional injury can occur. Within psychology, a lot of research has already been done which has shown, among other things, that where trauma and pain were not dealt with during childhood, it implies far-reaching emotional consequences for the victims. Negative habits and behaviours that are established early on also seem to be difficult to outgrow and unlearn and as a result, elderly people very often still struggle with such consequences of unprocessed emotional pain from their childhood. From the field of medical science, especially the field of neuroanatomy, informative perspectives have also been identified regarding unprocessed trauma and emotional pain. The descriptive task: The descriptive task: This task is discussed in Chapter 3 with the help of a literature study from pastoral theological literature. A particularly important contribution in this chapter centred on compiling an emotional timeline, representing the life span of the elderly. The concept of inner healing has proved to be an important key in interpreting this. From pastoral theological literature, further contributing factors to emotional injury, its consequences as well as preliminary therapeutic markers with a view to a pastoral model have been identified. The normative task was dealt with in Chapter 4. Here the emphasis was on appropriate Scripture. Exegesis according to the grammatical-historical method was done from the following passages of Scripture: Isaiah 61: 1-3 and Luke 4: 16-19. From the mentioned passages of Scripture, various useful guidelines regarding unprocessed emotional pain have been identified. An important exegetical message to every emotionally wounded person is that through the grace, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, healing and freedom is possible for every human being. Through this message, the overarching objective of this study can be met, namely, the formulation of a strategic theoretical model for the pastoral guidance of the elderly person with unprocessed emotional pain to a better quality of life on the emotional, physical and spiritual levels. The pragmatic task was dealt with in Chapter 5. Using the results from the previous chapters, a strategic-theoretical model has been compiled in Chapter 5 for dealing with unprocessed emotional pain in the life of the elderly. The therapeutic markers in Chapter 2, from adjacent sciences, the therapeutic markers in Chapter 3, from pastoral theological literature as well as the in-depth aspects from Chapter 4, the exegesis of applicable Scripture, are integrated in Chapter 5. Several questionnaires are attached as appendix. These questionnaires can serve as a tool, for the identification of unprocessed emotional pain, during the guidance of the elderly, thus facilitating the process of healing. The role of prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit proved to be of particular importance in guiding the elderly. Through prayer, the counsellor brings the elderly to Jesus Christ for healing from emotional injury. Doctoral |
