WE-hood: in Human Dialogue and the Divine

We humans are capable of great relationships. That is, we are capable of grand WE-hood. This is our heritage, though it is often unclaimed. In this book, we explore this heritage, not merely by theorizing about it, but rather by presenting several actual statements of relationship in psychotherapy that clearly embody WE-hood. We will celebrate and study these statements and their significance. We will find that they are significant not only for the pair of persons with whom they came into being, but also for the broader world.

After we explore those human-to-human statements, we will note that WE-hood is also said to characterize the divine. We will consider parallels between the WE-hood attributed to the divine and the WE-hood that is observable in human partners in dialogue. Then we will be surprised to see how these two realms of human and divine can come together, and lead to much deepening of the relationships. This deepening will also inform the broader world of language and communication and wisdom and love. Dance in wonder!

Ralph M. Reeves, MD is a retired psychiatrist and psychotherapist in Reading, Pennsylvania. He has worked in a wide spectrum of settings, with some persons who were severely disturbed, and others who functioned very well. He aimed for healing through meeting and included many different approaches. He believes that the most urgent research for our time will address deeper and deeper relating between persons and will harvest the fruits that arise in that process.