R.D. Laing's theological hinterland: the contrast between mysticism and communion.
History of Psychiatry June 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1177/0957154x11401181 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key points | Argues that Laing's psychiatry was shaped by two Christian theologies—mystical and corporate—that respectively informed his psychotherapeutic and social-inclusion approaches. |
Abstract
Contrasting elements in R.D. Laing's psychiatry can be traced to two kinds of Christian theology: mystical theology and corporate theology. On one hand, Laing's mystical theology combined with psychoanalytic theory, to provide a New Age psychotherapeutic account of the recovery of authentic selfhood via metanoia. On the other, his incarnational, corporate theology promoted social inclusion of the mentally ill, particularly via therapeutic communities. For Laing, as for other post-war British Christians, a turn inwards, to mysticism and the sacralization of the self, and a turn outwards, to social and political activism, were ways of negotiating with the decline of traditional Christianity.