Editing Messiah complex (section)

== Religious delusion ==
The term ''messiah complex'' is not addressed in the ''[[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]]'' (DSM), as it is not a clinical term nor diagnosable disorder. However, the symptoms as a proposed disorder closely resemble those found in individuals with [[grandiose delusions|delusions of grandeur]] or with grandiose [[self-image]]s that veer towards the delusional.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Characters on the Couch: Exploring Psychology through Literature and Film: Exploring Psychology through Literature and Film|last=Haycock|first=Dean|date=2016|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|isbn=978-1440836985|location=Santa Barbara, CA|pages=151}}</ref> An account specifically identified it as a category of [[religious delusion]], which pertains to strong fixed beliefs that cause distress or disability. It is the type of religious delusion that is classified as grandiose while the other two categories are persecutory and belittled.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Psychosis and Spirituality: Consolidating the New Paradigm |edition=2d |last=Clarke|first=Isabel|date=2010|publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]]|isbn=978-0470683484|location=Hoboken, NJ|page=240}}</ref> According to philosopher [[Antony Flew]], an example of this type of delusion was the case of [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]], who declared that God spoke to him, telling him that he would serve as a conduit for people to change.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=Resurrected?: An Atheist and Theist Dialogue|last1=Habermas|first1=Gary|last2=Flew|first2=Antony|date=2005|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield Publishers]]|isbn=0742542254|location=Oxford|pages=9}}</ref> The [[Jack A. Kent|Kent]]–[[Antony Flew|Flew]] thesis argued that his experience entailed auditory and visual hallucinations.<ref name=":2" />