Poiesis to improve life satisfaction: A study of the effect of personal nostalgia about God of the Apostle Paul

Abstract

What is often discussed about the Apostle Paul is his thoughts, vocabulary and literary style. His physical appearance and illness are left out, and some even consider them too speculative and useless. In our opinion, discussing his physical appearance and illness is also important to understanding his theology, especially regarding his view of God based on his past traumatic experiences. We create the idea of his traumatic experiences related to his physical appearance and illness through the theory of ‘compensation’ developed by Alfred Adler. The concept of ‘compensation’ appears in many parts of Paul’s letters. What causes him to interpret these negative experiences differently is his knowing of God (Phlp 3:8) – which we call personal nostalgia about God. What made him know God even more was the idea of poiesis explicitly mentioned by Christ Jesus on the road to Damascus (Ac 9:3–6).
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This study examines the factors that led to an improvement in Apostle Paul’s life satisfaction regarding his past, marked by psychological difficulties, considering Alfred Adler’s concept of compensation – difficulties stemming from his physical appearance and illness. This study draws upon the disciplines of biblical hermeneutics and psychology – specifically, the concept of nostalgia and Adler’s concept of compensation.