Matter And Spirit A Study Of Mind And Body In Their Relation To The Spiritual Life

If we knew just how mind affects body and how body affects mind we should have the clew to many a philosophical riddle, and a clew that would give us much-needed guidance not only in philosophy but in many a region of practical, moral, and religious activity and experience in which our generation is groping rather blindly and is longing very eagerly for more light. -from the Preface Developed from a series of lectures Pratt delivered at Yale Divinity School in 1922, this is classic work of modern philosophy, an outspoken defense of dualism: the idea that the physical brain and the mental mind are two distinct entities. With its dramatic impact upon contemporary understandings of human consciousness, religious belief and spirituality, and even the biological evolution of sentience on the planet Earth, this is readable guide to a complex concept that underlies the modern debate between faith and reason. American philosopher JAMES BISSETT PRATT (1875-1944) was professor of philosophy at Williams College from 1905 to 1943. He is also the author of The Psychology of Religious Belief (1905), Democracy and Peace (1916), Reason in the Art of Living (1949), and Eternal Values of Religion (1950).

Excerpt from Matter and Spirit: A Study of Mind and Body in Their Relation, to the Spiritual Life The principal excuse for a new book on the eternal problem of matter and mind is just the fact that the problem is eternal. And not only is it eternal: it is so complex that there is no end of illuminating ways in which it may be presented. A further excuse, if it be needed, is to be found in the many new attitudes toward the question which contemporary thought has suggested. A fairly rapid survey of the various answers, old and new, which have been given to our question - a bird's eye view, so to speak, of this ancient problem in its modern setting - seems to be called for by the times in which we live. The need for such a review becomes more patent the moment one stops to consider the absolutely central place of the mind-body problem in metaphysical speculation, and the fundamental nature of metaphysics in knowledge and in life. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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“Klassen’s book is much more than a first-rate study of how two churches in Canada positioned themselves within the ostensibly parallel worlds of biomedicine and spiritual healing. It is, at its core, an insightful meditation on the relationship between liberal Protestantism and the project of modernity. A must read not only for students of Christianity, but all those interested in the legacies of secularism and enchantment." —Matthew Engelke, London School of Economics

Throughout his ministry, Jesus consistently demonstrated his concern and love for the whole person: soul, mind, and body. That task is carried forward today by pastors and church leaders, who are called to care for people in the midst of individual circumstances as well as seismic cultural shifts. How might that calling be informed by recent developments in psychology? How should the church attend to matters of mental health? How might psychology and counseling aid us in our spiritual formation? Based on the 2018 Center for Pastor Theologians conference, this volume brings together reflections by pastors, theologians, and psychologists who explore the relationships among three fields of study—theological anthropology, spiritual formation, and modern psychology. The result is a vibrant whole-person theology that can aid the church today in its centuries-old call to care for the soul, mind, and body. Based on annual CPT conferences, the volumes in the Center for Pastor Theologians series bring together the reflections of pastors and theologians who desire to make ongoing contributions to the wider scholarly community for the renewal of both theology and the church.