A new pastoral contribution on the enduring subject of confession in Christian life.Confession: The Healing of the Soul is not just about what is termed sacramental confession. Its frame of reference is much wider and includes discussion of those celebrated writers who wrote confessions – Augustine, Kierkegaard, Tolstoy, Foucault, Freud, Jung, John of the Cross and Wittgenstein.This book will be of interest to all Christians of any denomination who...

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 i...

The most recent mystical theology scholarship - a discipline that has found new energy and influence. This is examined through the lens of Wittgenstein's philosophy.

This book explores the life and teaching of John of the Cross, the Spanish mystic who remains a major source of Western thought on spirituality, theology and mysticism. Leading academics discuss the importance and legacy of John from historical, theological, philosophical, pastoral, ecumenical, psychological and literary perspectives. The book focuses on his place in Carmel, his understanding of desire, and the role of transformation in his theology. Approaching John in the context of the ...

Studying with Husserl in Göttingen, becoming a Carmelite nun, and finally meeting her death in Auschwitz, the multifaceted life of Edith Stein (1891-1942) is well known. But what about her writing? Have the different aspects of her scholarship received sufficient attention? Peter Tyler thinks not, and by drawing on previously untranslated and neglected sources, he reveals how Stein's work lies at the interface of philosophy, psychology, and theology.Bringing Stein into conversation...

This book aims to understand the predicaments of ‘left behind places’ and the scale of the policy challenge of ‘levelling up’ their economic prosperity. Drawing out lessons of wider international significance, it examines how places (cities, towns and localities) have grown apart over recent decades amidst deindustrialisation, post-industrial transition and the disruptive shocks of the global financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic. Using the UK case to illustrate its arguments, the analysi...

Peter Tyler endeavours to represent St John of the Cross in the truest light, covering his life from the angles of John as Theologian, as Mystic, Psychologist, and Artist. Tyler draws parallels, at times uncomfortable, between the age of disruption and and change in the church during which St John wrote, and our current age. In so doing he makes the case for this controversial, but largely misunderstood, figure to be an important guide for practical theology today.

This innovative book offers an original insight into the context and times of St Teresa of Avila (1515 – 1582) as well as exploring her contemporary relevance from the perspective of some of the foremost thinkers and scholars in the Teresian field today including Professors Julia Kristeva, Rowan Williams and Bernard McGinn. As well as these academic approaches there will be chapters by friars and nuns of the Carmelite order living out the Carmelite charism in today’s world. The book addres...

In Mystical Theology and Contemporary Spiritual Practice several leading scholars explore key themes within the Christian mystical tradition, contemporary and historical. The overall aim of the book is to demonstrate the relevance of mystical theology to contemporary spiritual practice. Attention is given to the works of Baron von Hugel, Vladimir Lossky, Margery Kempe, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Thomas Merton, and Francisco de Osuna, as well as to a wide range of spiritual practices, in...

What is Christian Spirituality? How does it relate to non-Christian traditions? Where does it arise from and where is it going? These are some of the key questions addressed in this innovative new guide from Bloomsbury. The Bloomsbury Guide to Christian Spirituality is written by foremost academics in their fields who distill their knowledge for a wide intelligent audience. They do this with huge skill and attention to the needs of modern readers. Appealing equally to those studyi...

The first comparative treatment of the topic of līlā in Hindu and Christian traditions, this volume explores what it means to consider divine and human action under the categories of play, wit, drama, grace, and compassionGod at Play presents a theological exploration of the multifaceted motif of līlā across diverse Hindu and Christian landscapes and its wide-ranging connections to divine and human creativity. Given its ubiquity in Hindu ...

In these four talks, Peter Tyler explores the factors that contributed to the rise of mystical writing in 16th Century Spain. He traces the particular history of the Peninsula that shaped the milieu within which mysticism flourished at this time.One of the most popular and approachable Christian saints of all time, St Teresa of Avila (1515 – 1582) is justly celebrated as one of the key writers in the Christian mystical tradition. Yet her popularity belies the struggles she had to o...