The God Image Between Psychology and Sufism: An Integrative Framework for Islamic Psychology
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The image of God has significant implications for mental health and spiritual life. Despite its importance, scholarship on the God image remains largely dominated by Western Christian frameworks, with limited dialogue between psychological and Islamic-Sufi perspectives. This study addresses that gap through a comparative-integrative analysis of the concept, determinants, and mechanisms underlying the construction of the God image in contemporary psychology and Sufism. Using a library research method, selected classical and contemporary sources were examined through thematic comparative analysis to identify convergence, divergence, and complementarity between the two perspectives. The findings indicate three main points. First, both traditions understand the God image as a personal and relational experience of God that develops across the lifespan. Second, psychology explains the God image as shaped by early emotional attachment, psychological conditions, and sociocultural context, whereas Sufism views it as shaped by cognitive-spiritual capacity and divine disclosure. Third, although both traditions seek to foster a positive image of God, their approaches differ: psychology is oriented toward mental well-being, whereas Sufism is normative and transformative, through purification of the heart. The two perspectives are complementary, as psychology provides tools for assessing maladaptive God images, while Sufism offers guidance for reshaping them. This dialogue contributes to the development of Islamic psychology, particularly in formulating integrative theory and culturally sensitive psycho-spiritual interventions. Further empirical studies are needed to validate this integrative model, especially among Muslim populations in Indonesia.
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