Resisting history: Religious transcendence and the invention of the unconscious

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Manchester University Press, 19.07.2013 - 160 Seiten

How can historians make sense of visions, hauntings and demonic possession? Do miraculous events have any place in a world governed by cause and effect?

In Resisting history, Rhodri Hayward examines the cumulative attempts of theologians, historians and psychologists to create a consistent and rational narrative capable of containing the inexplicable. This lucid and provocative account argues that the psychological theories we routinely use to make sense of supernatural experience were born out of struggles between popular mystics and conservative authorities. Hayward’s lively analysis of the Victorian disciplines of Christology, psychology and psychical research reveals how our modern concept of the subconscious was developed as a tool for policing religious inspiration.

Written in a clear and accessible style, Resisting history provides a fresh and entertaining perspective for anyone interested in questioning the concepts that underlie historical writing and psychological thought today.

 

Inhalt

Preface
The invention of the unconscious
The soul governed
The self triumphant
Index

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Autoren-Profil (2013)

Rhodri Hayward is Senior Lecturer in the History of Medicine at Queen Mary University of London

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