Beyond Belief: Psychotherapy and Religion - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1855751860 ISBN 13: 9781855751866

Publisher: Routledge, 1999

Synopsis

The burden once put upon natural scientists is here shouldered by psychotherapists. This book asks whether psychotherapy can go beyond belief and gives various answers from a wide variety of people and their differing perspectives. 'Whilst making a circuitous and muddled way through the dilemmas inherent in both the overlap and conflict between psychotherapy and religion, I read in one of Charles Rycroft's works of a book called The God I Want (1967) by James Mitchell. It comprised a series of short essays of the same title by analysts, authors, theologians and others describing their approach to religion and their own personal theology. It was thought provoking to read of the religious dilemmas faced by other people, as well as of how they had resolved them. However, whilst Rycroft's own contribution (as an analyst) to the book was very helpful, others drawn from fields outside psychoanalysis were less so. An additional problem was that Mitchell's publication was over thirty years old, no longer in print and rarely available.

About this title

Review:

'The burden once put upon natural scientists is here shouldered by psychotherapists. We are invited to ask: "Can psychotherapy go beyond belief?" This collection of essays is a wonderfully varied set of answers by a wide range of people - from left-wing socialists to a clutch of ex-theologians, from psychiatrists to psychoanalysts, Jungians to Freudians, Jews to Catholics, agnostics to the devout. And how agreeable such an encompassing group seems to be when it comes to God. They write, almost without exception, with a serious sympathy, gently negotiated disagreements and reservations and an almost hallowed kind of honoring.'- Bob Hinshelwood, From the Foreword

About the Author:

Samuel M. Stein is a South African psychologist and psychoanalyst. He is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and currently works as a consultant in Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatry. He has maintained a longstanding interest in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy and has written a number of articles within these fields. He has written and contributed to several works including 'Essentials of Psychotherapy' and 'Psychotherapy in Practice: A life in the Mind'.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1855751860
• ISBN 13: 9781855751866
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 228
• Editor: Stein Samuel M.