Object Relations Theory and its Implication in the Pastoral Psychology and the Psychology of Religion

The paper shows the resultants of the research of the relationship between theory of object relations as a part of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychology and religion and spirituality in a broader sense. It also seeks to show the turn in the valorisation of religion and spirituality that the theory of object relations, and in particular Winicott's theory of the true and false self and the transitional object, brought in the psychodynamic paradigm. The paper presents Freud's, Jung's and Adler's works in psychology of religion and spirituality.