The Pursuit of the Soul: Psychoanalysis, Soul-making and the Christian Tradition

Description

One of the most striking features of contemporary psychology is the return of language of the 'soul' in contemporary discourse. In this original analysis Dr Peter Tyler investigates the origins and use of 'soul-language' in the Christian tradition before turning his attention to the evolution and preoccupations of modern psychoanalysis. In his forensic examination he explores the dynamics of psychoanalysis as a 'tool to rediscover the soul' of the 21st century seeker. Central to his book is the perceived clash between analysis and the spiritual tradition. His uncompromising conclusion is that the dialogue of the two in our present time will have far-reaching repercussions for church, society and future human well-being. Read more about his work on http://insoulpursuit.blogspot.co.uk

Peter Tyler is Professor of Pastoral Theology and Spirituality at St Mary's University, London, UK. He is also a spiritual director and registered psychotherapist in private practice.

[The Pursuit of the Soul] is densely packed with robust analysis for theologians, psychologists, and pastoral counselors. ... Tyler offers intriguing insight into the interminable debate between science and religion ... [which] ameliorates the divide and leads to constructive dialogue within both disciplines. ... Tyler is an incredibly erudite scholar in theology, philosophy, and psychology. He writes with great panache, delivering a perceptive monograph for theologians, philosophers of mind, and psychologists concerning the prerequisites for understanding each other's disciplines and methods. * Reviews in Religion and Theology * [Here] we have a work of detailed and complex theology that seeks to integrate psychology and spirituality. Not, however, in a coldly intellectual way, but one that portrays a life that is in pursuit itself of his subject matter. ... I can wholeheartedly commend it. * Regent's Reviews * Tyler manages to pack into the volume a great deal of absorbing material and to introduce it, for the most part, in an engaging and accessible way. The book as a whole offers rich food for reflection on one of the most enigmatic and fascinating concepts in Western culture. * The Way * Peter Tyler's new book, The Pursuit of the Soul, casts a wide net in pursuit of one over-arching question: Can the traditional soul-language of the ancient Greek philosophers, the New Testament, and the early Christian thinkers enter into productive dialogue with the post-Freudian psychoanalytic world? Or, more succinctly: Are there effective pre-modern answers to post-modern questions? Understanding the soul as the locus of performative discourse, Tyler illuminates thinkers from Plato to Ludwig Wittgenstein, Thomas Merton, and Edith Stein. Incisive and thought-provoking, this bravura survey promises to make a major contribution to a central issue of our time. * Bernard McGinn, University of Chicago, USA * Although "soul" is referred to by many today, from liturgists, poets and mystics to journalists, musicians and psychologists, few explore what soul is. The soul is frequently evoked, but we are often left in the dark as to its nature. Peter Tyler provides us with a seminal work which outlines the nature of soul, as this concept has been employed in scripture, catechesis, Platonic philosophy, late classical and early medieval theology, contemporary philosophy and psychoanalysis. This is an extremely useful and erudite book, which throws light on the historical representations of this elusive subject. * David Tacey, La Trobe University, Australia * In this important book, Peter Tyler gives us a sophisticated and subtle narrative of the varied and ambiguous languages of the soul in philosophy, Christianity and psychoanalysis, from Plato and Augustine to Ludwig Wittgenstein and Edith Stein. He brings to this story both rigorous analysis and a deep sense of what he calls "the poetic wonder of the unknowing soul". * Jane Shaw, Stanford University, USA *