Exploring the entanglement of religion and psychotherapy in twentieth-century Scotland

Far from being washed away by the tide of secularization that swept post-war United Kingdom, one of the ways in which Christianity in Scotland survived, and transformed itself, was by drawing on the alliances that it had built earlier in the century with psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. Psychoanalysis was seen as a way to purify Christianity, and to propel it in a scientifically rational and socially progressive direction. This book draws upon a wealth of archival research to uncover the complex interaction between religion and psychotherapy in twentieth-century Scotland. It explores the practical and intellectual alliance created between the Scottish churches and Scottish psychotherapy that found expression in the work of celebrated figures such as the radical psychiatrist R.D. Laing and the pioneering psychoanalyst W.R.D. Fairbairn, as well as the careers of less well-known individuals such as the psychotherapist Winifred Rushforth.

Key Features

-Uncovers the hidden alliance between psychoanalytic psychotherapy and Scottish Christianity.

-Exposes the continuity running from Christian discourses, practices and organizations to New Age spirituality in Scotland.

-Draws on extensive archival research on key figures such as R.D. Laing and organizations such as The Davidson Clinic