God Representation and Its Psychological Reflections in Rollo May

Abstract The aim of this study is to reveal Rollo May’s views from his God Representation by means of findings obtained by archival scanning method. According to Rollo May, the basic motivation of man is to resemble the God he imagined. For this reason, the accuracy of the God representation must be constantly questioned. According to May, the God representation is mutually related with man's development. While God representation develops man’s inner visions, pure inner visions develop the God representation. Rollo May argues that God only as a source of love, helps those who are good, who constantly protects the human beings, an authority that needs to be obeyed and human serving representations prevent the man's development. He believes that God representation, which strengthens man's freedom, responsibility and self-consciousness, contributes to human development. Rollo May benefited from the Old Testament, mythology and existential philosophy about God representation. The influence of the Old Testament and mythology led him to the development of anthropomorphic God representation. May has an anthropomorphic God representation that will not allow man to be like Himself, His God representation is one who struggles with man and who has difficulties in control of human. This is a paradox in May, because transcendental God representation contributes to human’s development more than anthropomorphic God representation. Summary The aim of this research is to examine the views of Rollo May about God representation and to contribute to the studies of God representation. The findings of the study are obtained by archival scanning method. One of the prerequisites for achieving healthy results in scientific research is to choose the appropriate methods for subject matter. In this context, the archive scanning method is selected because it will be the most appropriate one. In the study, firstly, the definition of God representation, factors affecting its formation and theories developed about the God representation are mentioned. Later, Rollo May's ideas about God representation were examined. The findings are obtained from Rollo May’s work and the studies made about him. In this study, the relationship between Rollo May's biography and theories of God representation was established and the factors affecting the formation of May's God representation were determined. Growing up in a religious family, May had a difficult childhood. His post-graduate education in theology, the priest in the church for a while and an existential psychologist make his approaches to