Overview

"Two towering figures thread their way through this book: St Teresa of Avila, the sixteenth century Spanish Carmelite saint, writer and reformer and C. G. Jung, the founder of modern depth psychology. Through sharing 15 key papers and talks written over nearly 25 years, the author draws on their writings to focus on, and explore, the interface and relationship between the Christian mystical tradition and Jungian, depth psychology. Jung saw the human psyche as 'by nature religious' and made this insight a principal focus of his explorations. In this regard, the book aims to explore an essentially depth approach to spirituality and numinosity relevant for todays' largely post-religious situation. Jungian depth psychology, with all its own richness, can serve as an essential psychological foundation for, and bridge to, the Christian mystical tradition. The author looks forward with enthusiasm, hope and optimism to renewed, creative and invigorated approaches to understanding the nature of our inner life that characterize the essential writings of St Teresa of Avila and C.G. Jung. St Teresa of Avila's writings assure us our life journey can be graced by divine presence - describing various stages of transformation of the soul, in God's Love, in her classic book on prayer, the 'Interior Castle.' Living symbols were a major preoccupation in the life and writings of C.G. Jung, where he explored the psychological foundation of religion, particularly the Christian tradition - what he termed the path of individuation. McLean believes we are in the midst of another flowering of theologia mystica in our own secular time. The unprecedented spiritual longing and emergency of our own times is fuelling a strong need for the depth psychological tradition of Jungian psychology and the ancient tradition of theologia mystica to become more widely known, understood, practiced and lived. There is a wider evolutionary shift happening in our times - in the diamond heart of individuals, groups, nations and the global community. Something new and unprecedented is being born in our world today - we are not only in a new time, but a new era. Table of Contents 1. Walking Towards Jerusalem - Tribute to Dr Gerhard Adler 2. Opening the Heart, Approaching the Numinous 3. Jung and the Christian Way 4. C. G. Jung and Prayer 5. St Teresa of Avila and Depth Psychology 6. St Teresa of Avila and Self Knowledge 7. God Enters through our Wounds 8. Symbols of Transformation in Christian Spirituality 9. Edges of Wisdom, Compassion and Living Waters 10. Introduction to the Christian Mystical Tradition 11. The Threefold Way 12. The Third Spiritual Alphabet, Guide of St Teresa: A Learning Hidden Deep in the Heart 13. The Third Spiritual Alphabet, Guide of St Teresa: Exploring the Path of Recollection 14. Introducing the Mystical Text ""The Interior Castle"" 15. Mystical Theology and the Renewal of Contemplative Spiritual Practice Bibliography Index"

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9781685030964

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Reviews

"""In this remarkable new collection of essays we can see, once again, the impact of St Teresa's writings, as strong and vibrant today as they were 500 years ago. Julienne McLean, whom I have had the privilege to know this past quarter century, approaches St Teresa's mystical texts from her own training, and practice, of Jungian depth psychology. She has been a Jungian analyst, supervisor and teacher at the Association of Jungian Analysts in London for many years. She brings her deep knowledge of the healing of the psyche to these mystical texts, recognizing what she describes as 'the unprecedented spiritual longing and emergency of our own times.' ""Julienne takes the 'bull by the horns' and presents the fusion of the Jungian path with the transcendent mysteries in a refreshingly unembarrassed fashion. She states that one of the consequences of the deep spiritual hunger of our generation is to foster 'an overwhelming need for the depth dimension of the Christian tradition.' Those looking for this depth dimension need look no further, they will find it in this set of priceless essays-indeed, a 'diamond of great price.'"" Professor Peter Tyler, Professor of Pastoral Theology and Spirituality, St Mary's University, London"

Author Information

Julienne McLean practices as a psychologist, Jungian analyst and training supervisor in north London, as well as being a spiritual director and retreat conductor. She has been in private practice for nearly 30 years. She has had a lifelong involvement in the Christian contemplative tradition, with a particular interest in the relationship between modern depth psychology and theologia mystica. She teaches on the Jungian Analytic Training for Qualified Psychotherapists, organised by A.J.A, London, at St Mary's University, Strawberry Hill, London and Sarum College, Salisbury, where she is a Visiting Scholar in Christian Spirituality. Since 2018, she has been involved with the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality (www.oxcacs.org), teaching and tutoring on the Carmelite Spiritual Direction Training Programme. She has published many papers and is the author of Towards Mystical Union (St Pauls, 2003, 2013, 2017) a modern commentary on St Teresa's classic text on prayer The Interior Castle.

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