This will be a six-evening group discussion, with the author, along the lines of a Book Club, of the book written by Stephen Fowler, and published in 2017, titled: Probing the Mind to Free the Soul: Toward a Psychoanalytic Protest Theology. The discussions will venture beyond the confines of the book, and into areas of thought that are currently the focus of writing that the author is working on, e.g.: Das Ding and the implications for otherness; the role of seduction in person-formation and in the formation of Christian character.

Participants will need to acquire their own copy of the book and have read the portions applicable for each of the six discussions, which will be outlined in advance to registrants. The book is available from Caversham Booksellers or Amazon.

The course will appeal to those interested in interfaces between psychoanalysis and religion, specifically the Christian religion.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Establish a more open, nuanced, and thoughtful stance toward religion in themselves and their patients than the reductionistic dismissive stance of Freud.
2. Reflect upon ways in which psychoanalysis informs on religious experience.
3. Move into a more postmodern position of ‘negative capability’ with the respect to the mystery that surrounds God.
4. Following on from Objective 3, become more embracing of the mysterious ‘otherness’ within our neighbour as well as ourselves.

Stephen Fowler, MD, FIPA

Stephen Fowler is a psychoanalyst in private practice in Mississauga, who has a strong interest in intersections of psychoanalysis with religious faith, particularly seeking to explore the implications of the meta-psychology of Jean Laplanche for Christianity.