How our beliefs about the soul have developed through the ages, and why an understanding of it still matters today The concept of the soul has been a recurring area of exploration since ancient times. What do we mean when we talk about finding our soul, how do we know we have one, and does it hold any relevance in today’s scientifically and technologically dominated society? From Socrates and Augustine to Darwin and Freud, In Search of the Soul takes readers on a concise, accessible journey into the origins of the soul in Western philosophy and culture, and examines how the idea has developed throughout history to the present. Touching on literature, music, art, and theology, John Cottingham illustrates how, far from being redundant in contemporary times, the soul attunes us to the importance of meaning and value, and experience and growth. A better understanding of the soul might help all of us better understand what it is to be human. Cottingham delves into the evolution of our thoughts about the soul through landmark works—including those of Aristotle, Plato, and Descartes. He considers the nature of consciousness and subjective experience, and discusses the psychoanalytic view that large parts of the human psyche are hidden from direct conscious awareness. He also reflects on the mysterious and universal longing for transcendence that is an indelible part of our human makeup. Looking at the soul’s many dimensions—historical, moral, psychological, and spiritual—Cottingham makes a case for how it exerts a powerful pull on all of us. In Search of the Soul is a testimony to how the soul remains a profoundly significant aspect of human flourishing.

Modern Man in Search of a Soul is the perfect introduction to the theories and concepts of one of the most original and influential religious thinkers of the twentieth century. Lively and insightful, it covers all of his most significant themes, including man's need for a God and the mechanics of dream analysis. One of his most famous books, it perfectly captures the feelings of confusion that many sense today. Generation X might be a recent concept, but Jung spotted its forerunner over half a century ago. For anyone seeking meaning in today's world, Modern Man in Search of a Soul is a must.

In Search of Soul explores the meaning of “soul” in sacred and profane incarnations, from its biblical origins to its central place in the rich traditions of black and Latin history. Surveying the work of writers, artists, poets, musicians, philosophers and theologians, Alejandro Nava shows how their understandings of the “soul” revolve around narratives of justice, liberation, and spiritual redemption. He contends that biblical traditions and hip-hop emerged out of experiences of dispossession and oppression. Whether born in the ghettos of America or of the Roman Empire, hip-hop and Christianity have endured by giving voice to the persecuted. This book offers a view of soul in living color, as a breathing, suffering, dreaming thing.

Describes the past lives revealed by the renowned novelist while under hypnosis and explores their relationship to her best-selling works

Why A Search for the Soul? Many Christians assume that it is biblically faithful and theologically noncontroversial to speak of humans having a soul. Yet a wide range of biblical scholars are questioning whether we have correctly understood what the Bible means when it speaks of the "soul." And contemporary neuroscience is laying more and more questions at the doorstep of the church, asking whether our human sense of self is intelligible on the basis of soul. But for thoughtful Christians, following science on this point looks like caving in to reductionism, while denying science gives off the door of obscurantism. In Search of the Soul provides a rare opportunity to listen in as four Christian philosophers set forth their best arguments for their distinct views and then respond to each other. While each of these views calls for careful framing and patient exposition, they are labeled as follows: - SUBSTANCE DUALISM (Stewart Goetz) - EMERGENT DUALISM (William Hasker) - NONREDUCTIVE PHYSICALISM (Nancey Murphy) - CONSTITUTION VIEW OF PERSONS (Kevin Corcoran) The editor introduces the debate by laying out the critical issues at stake, and wraps it up by considering the implications for the Christian life, particularly hospitality and forgiveness. This is a book of timely interest to philosophers, theologians, psychologists, and pastors. Whatever conclusions readers may draw, they will find here an instructive and engaging discussion of a controversy that will not go away any time soon.

Psyche’s Exile: an empirical odyssey in search of the soul. “Psyche” means “soul” in Greek, and “psychology” literally means ‘the study of the soul.’ For over a century American psychology has gone in precisely the opposite direction. Soul = mind, and mind = brain with no exceptions! This reductionist paradigm is challenged in this book as Professor Kroth reviews eight politically incorrect, ‘forbidden’ databases in his empirical pursuit of the immortal soul of the ages: near-death experiences, deathbed visions, precognitive dreams, premonitions, synchronicity, telepathy, states of possession, just to name a few. The journey leads to a fascinating rediscovery of the soul. Reviews “Psyche’s Exile . . is an absolute treasure trove of carefully collected experiential and experimental data spanning the research areas of anthropology, sociology, religion, spirituality, psychology, and physics. Although we are still some human evolutionary time away from experimentally proving the existence of the human soul, there is certainly enough good data available at present to make it a viable working hypothesis. Dr. Kroth is dedicated to his craft as a professional explorer of nature in its many forms. For myself, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to my scientific colleagues and my friends.” —William A. Tiller, Ph.D., professor of physics: Stanford University; Author of Science and Human Transformation

Modern Man in Search of a Soul is the perfect introduction to the theories and concepts of one of the most original and influential religious thinkers of the twentieth century. Lively and insightful, it covers all of his most significant themes, including man's need for a God and the mechanics of dream analysis. One of his most famous books, it perfectly captures the feelings of confusion that many sense today. Generation X might be a recent concept, but Jung spotted its forerunner over half a century ago. For anyone seeking meaning in today's world, Modern Man in Search of a Soul is a must.