PSYCHOLOGIST AND PRIEST
Sm,—As Bishop Stephen Neill referred to the activities of the Yeast Group in The Spectator of November 3oth as an " encouraging begin- ning," we, who are members of that Group and practising psychologists, would like to make clearer our attitude to some of the problems raised by the Bishop in that article.
We are glad that Bishop Neill welcomes the attempt at co-operation now going on between the Psychologist and the Priest, as we feel that both are channels for the healing pneuma. Whilst the psychologist en- ables his patient to experience the Spirit in an individual way, the priest administers it universally, as laid down by tradition and dogma. Tradi- tion and dogma represent the formulated spiritual experiences of previous generations. Modern man, however, requires an experience by which his uniqueness finds its fulfilment. Our time has unfortunately not yet found a collectively acceptable formula. Therefore it is so vital for the Church to realise that modern man's need cannot be satisfied by a solution not primarily experienced by himself. The need of finding a re-expressing of old Truth in the light of individual experience brings the seeker into a position of isolation and leads him into the consulting room of the Psychologist who understands his language. Priest and Psychologist can only find an answer to modern man's spiritual quest .f their approach is that of willingness to be an instrument for healing.—
H. WESTMANN.
38-40, Beaumont Street, London, W. z.
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