Poiesis to improve life satisfaction

A study of the effect of personal nostalgia about God of the Apostle Paul

Bibliographic Data

ID22426993
AuthorsPelita Hati Surbakti (0000-0003-4379-7171, Universitas Pendidikan Putra Indonesia Cianjur), Esther Widhi Andangsari (0000-0002-0073-5985, Binus University)
Year2026
Volume47
Issue1
Publication date2026-07-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueVerbum et Ecclesia (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1609-9982 • E-ISSN: 2074-7705
PublisherAOSIS (PUBLISHER • ZA)
DOI10.4102/ve.v47i1.3880
OpenAlexW7167905277
LanguageEN
References cited22

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.

Apostle · Christian theology · Hermeneutics · Physical illness · Vocabulary · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior · Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies

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