Gordon Lynch – författare

It is often claimed that we live in a secular age. But we do not live in a desacralized one. Sacred forms--whether in 'religious' or 'secular' guise--continue to shape social life in the modern world, giving rise to powerful emotions, polarized group identities, and even the very concept of moral society. Analyzing contemporary sacred forms is essential if we are to be able to make sense of the societies we live in and think critically about the effects of the sacred on our lives for good or ill. The Sacred in the Modern World is a major contribution to this task. Re-interpreting Durkheim's theory of the sacred, and drawing on the 'strong program' in cultural sociology, Gordon Lynch sets out a theory of the sacred that can be used by researchers across a range of humanities and social science disciplines. Using vividly drawn contemporary case material - including the abuse and neglect of children in Irish residential schools and the controversy over the BBC's decision not to air an appeal for aid for Gaza--the book demonstrates the value of this theoretical approach for social and cultural analysis. The key role of public media for the circulation and contestation of the sacred comes under close scrutiny. Adopting a critical stance towards sacred forms, Lynch reflects upon the ways in which sacred commitments can both serve as a moral resource for social life and legitimate horrifying acts of collective evil. He concludes by reflecting on how we might live thoughtfully and responsibility under the light and shadow that the sacred casts, asking whether society without the sacred is possible or desirable.

Pastoral counselling has had a significant role in the development of the wider British counselling movement over the past thirty years. Yet this role has often gone unacknowledged, and little has been written about the implications of its distinctive identity within counselling.Clinical Counselling in Pastoral Settings fills this gap by offering an exploration of clinical issues that are distinctive to the work of pastoral counsellors in a way that is made clearly relevant to practice, whilst exploring wider issues. Contents include: * Pastoral counselling in multi-cultural settings* Pastoral counselling and the therapeutic frame* Transference within the pastoral counselling relationship* Integrated theology and psychology in pastoral counselling * The promise and difficulties of pastoral counselling

This Reader brings together a selection of key writings to explore the relationship between religion, media and cultures of everyday life. It provides an overview of the main debates and developments in this growing field, focusing on four major themes: Religion, spirituality and consumer cultureMedia and the transformation of religionThe sacred senses: visual, material and audio cultureReligion, and the ethics of media and culture. This collection is an invaluable resource for students, academics and researchers wanting a deeper understanding of religion and contemporary culture.

This Reader brings together a selection of key writings to explore the relationship between religion, media and cultures of everyday life. It provides an overview of the main debates and developments in this growing field, focusing on four major themes: Religion, spirituality and consumer cultureMedia and the transformation of religionThe sacred senses: visual, material and audio cultureReligion, and the ethics of media and culture. This collection is an invaluable resource for students, academics and researchers wanting a deeper understanding of religion and contemporary culture.

`I would recommend this text as a basic reading resource for those with an interest in the field as well as those who practice pastoral care and counselling' - Youth & Policy

`This is a useful book that discusses the differences and similarities if pastoral care and counselling' - Quaker Retreat Group Newsletter

`I think Gordon Lynch has produced an admirable introduction to this subject. I believe it should become a 'must' for those undertaking theological training and would also highly commend it to those engaged in the supervisory process' - Gary Haire, Accord

`This book, focusing as it does on the ethics underpinning any pastoral care or counselling relationship, as a real joy to read being well-written, engaging and thought-provoking. Drawing on a rich variety of ethical dilemmas and presenting some complex ethical thinking in a disarmingly simple way, Gordon Lynch invites us to engage more deeply with our own ethical nature. We are encouraged to discover what the good life means to us and how this impacts on pastoral encounters. This book does not give us any easy ethical answers instead it invites us to reflect more deeply on our own ethical viewpoint and how this can inform our pastoral work with clients. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone involved in pastoral care and counselling' - William West, Senior Lecturer in Counselling, University of Manchester

`Beautifully clearly written. This is a text for those who are not experts in ethics or moral reflection. It provides a lucid introduction to the field' - Stephen Pattison, Cardiff University

`This is a very user-friendly book. The writing is lucid, the reader knows at every stage just where he is in understanding the development of the writer's thought, and the material is frequently summarised. It is clear that Gordon Lynch is an expert in this field.… This is a good read' - Alan Mace, Dynamics Newsletter

`This book must be considered a considerable success. The writing is clear and informed and could be used in any course dealing with the training of counsellors or pastoral carers. The line taken is original and demonstrates how pastoral care and counselling should not simply be seen as a series of techniques professionally applied and contractually enforced' - William K Kay, Reviews in Religion and Theology

Pastoral Care & Counselling provides an accessible framework for understanding the role of the pastoral care worker and the ethical dimensions of practice.

Central to the book is the argument that all pastoral practice is inevitably shaped by the pastoral worker's own vision of what it means to live a good life. A thoughtful approach to pastoral work therefore requires pastoral carers to reflect critically about the values that shape their practice and about how the good life can be encouraged or hindered by different aspects of their pastoral encounters.

The book tackles practical concerns such as: boundary issues and the place of friendship in caring relationships; the social and institutional factors which form the context of pastoral care; and what it means to act in an ethical and competent manner.

Accessibly written and illustrated with case examples, Pastoral Care & Counselling will be of interest to those already working in pastoral care and those training in theology and pastoral work.

Progressive, modern societies hold the promise of the triumph of reason and the banishing of primitive, religious impulses to a bygone age. If this statement is orthodoxy to much of Western liberal thought, then Gordon Lynch's On the Sacred is heresy. Challenging the myth of the idealized rational society, Lynch argues that emotionally-charged forms of the sacred remain an inevitable foundation of social life. Modernity has not rid us of the sacred, but merely presented us with new sacred forms focused around humanity, nature and the nation. Drawing on examples from the changing status of the British monarchy, the growing influence of humanitarian NGOs and moral justifications for the invasion of Iraq, On the Sacred presents a compelling account of what the sacred is and why it still matters for us today. By the end of the book, Lynch calls us to a new understanding of our moments of deep moral certainty, challenging us to think about the harm we do in the name of what we call sacred.

Understanding Theology and Popular Culture is one of the first books to give an overview of the key issues and methods in this field of study. Provides a detailed introduction to key theories and debates in popular cultural studiesPresents a reasoned argument about the distinctive contribution that theology can make to the study of popular cultureIllustrated through a range of original case studies, from Eminem to The SimpsonsSuitable for both beginning students and more advanced researchers.The author has created the Theology and Popular Culture Gateway which is one of the first academic Internet gateways for the study of theology and contemporary culture.

Understanding Theology and Popular Culture is one of the first books to give an overview of the key issues and methods in this field of study. Provides a detailed introduction to key theories and debates in popular cultural studiesPresents a reasoned argument about the distinctive contribution that theology can make to the study of popular cultureIllustrated through a range of original case studies, from Eminem to The SimpsonsSuitable for both beginning students and more advanced researchers.The author has created the Theology and Popular Culture Gateway which is one of the first academic Internet gateways for the study of theology and contemporary culture.

Between 1850 and 1970, around three hundred thousand children were sent to new homes through child migration programmes run by churches, charities and religious orders in the United States and the United Kingdom. Intended as humanitarian initiatives to save children from social and moral harm and to build them up as national and imperial citizens, these schemes have in many cases since become the focus of public censure, apology and sometimes financial redress.Remembering Child Migration is the first book to examine both the American ‘orphan train’ programmes and Britain’s child migration schemes to its imperial colonies. Setting their work in historical context, it discusses their assumptions, methods and effects on the lives of those they claimed to help. Rather than seeing them as reflecting conventional child-care practice of their time, the book demonstrates that they were subject to criticism for much of the period in which they operated. Noting similarities between the American ‘orphan trains’ and early British migration schemes to Canada, it also shows how later British child migration schemes to Australia constituted a reversal of what had been understood to be good practice in the late Victorian period.At its heart, the book considers how welfare interventions motivated by humanitarian piety came to have such harmful effects in the lives of many child migrants. By examining how strong moral motivations can deflect critical reflection, legitimise power and build unwarranted bonds of trust, it explores the promise and risks of humanitarian sentiment.

Between 1850 and 1970, around three hundred thousand children were sent to new homes through child migration programmes run by churches, charities and religious orders in the United States and the United Kingdom. Intended as humanitarian initiatives to save children from social and moral harm and to build them up as national and imperial citizens, these schemes have in many cases since become the focus of public censure, apology and sometimes financial redress.Remembering Child Migration is the first book to examine both the American ‘orphan train’ programmes and Britain’s child migration schemes to its imperial colonies. Setting their work in historical context, it discusses their assumptions, methods and effects on the lives of those they claimed to help. Rather than seeing them as reflecting conventional child-care practice of their time, the book demonstrates that they were subject to criticism for much of the period in which they operated. Noting similarities between the American ‘orphan trains’ and early British migration schemes to Canada, it also shows how later British child migration schemes to Australia constituted a reversal of what had been understood to be good practice in the late Victorian period.At its heart, the book considers how welfare interventions motivated by humanitarian piety came to have such harmful effects in the lives of many child migrants. By examining how strong moral motivations can deflect critical reflection, legitimise power and build unwarranted bonds of trust, it explores the promise and risks of humanitarian sentiment.

Progressive, modern societies hold the promise of the triumph of reason and the banishing of primitive, religious impulses to a bygone age. If this statement is orthodoxy to much of Western liberal thought, then Gordon Lynch's On the Sacred is heresy. Challenging the myth of the idealized rational society, Lynch argues that emotionally-charged forms of the sacred remain an inevitable foundation of social life. Modernity has not rid us of the sacred, but merely presented us with new sacred forms focused around humanity, nature and the nation. Drawing on examples from the changing status of the British monarchy, the growing influence of humanitarian NGOs and moral justifications for the invasion of Iraq, On the Sacred presents a compelling account of what the sacred is and why it still matters for us today. By the end of the book, Lynch calls us to a new understanding of our moments of deep moral certainty, challenging us to think about the harm we do in the name of what we call sacred.

Much attention has been given in recent writings about religion to fundamentalism and the 'religious right'. But less attention has been given to their opposite - the emergence of a new generation of progressive religious thinkers and organisations on the 'religious left'. "The New Spirituality" is one of the first books to give a comprehensive and authoritative account of this burgeoning progressive religious movement. It offers a clear and engaging analysis of the cultural roots, key ideas and organisational structures of this new faith, assessing its significance in the changing moral and religious landscape of contemporary western society. Gordon Lynch argues that we are witnessing the rise of a new religious ideology which reveres the natural world, connects religious faith with novel scientific theories, and has a forward-looking agenda for society's transformation. "The New Spirituality" will be essential reading for students attempting to understand the shape of religious belief in the twenty-first century.

Much attention has been given in recent writings about religion to fundamentalism and the 'religious right'. But less attention has been given to their opposite - the emergence of a new generation of progressive religious thinkers and organisations on the 'religious left'. "The New Spirituality" is one of the first books to give a comprehensive and authoritative account of this burgeoning progressive religious movement. It offers a clear and engaging analysis of the cultural roots, key ideas and organisational structures of this new faith, assessing its significance in the changing moral and religious landscape of contemporary western society. Gordon Lynch argues that we are witnessing the rise of a new religious ideology which reveres the natural world, connects religious faith with novel scientific theories, and has a forward-looking agenda for society's transformation. Produced by one of Britain's leading writers on the changing patterns of modern religion, "The New Spirituality" will be essential reading for students attempting to understand the shape of religious belief in the twenty-first century.

Over the past ten years there has been an explosion of interest in how religion and the sacred connect with the media and cultures of everyday life. How are religious communities, identities and rituals being transformed by new media such as the internet? What is the significance of the media when for many people it becomes the primary source of images and of an encounter with religious traditions? Do the media and popular culture themselves take on religious significance, and how do people make use of these popular resources to 'do' religion in the contemporary world? As researchers have tried to answer these and other questions, a growing body of literature has begun to develop. "Between Sacred and Profane" offers a major review of this young and exciting field of scholarship, highlighting both its achievements and flaws, and setting out an agenda for its next phase of study. The book is an invaluable guide and handbook for beginning students who are looking for a first overview of the key issues and debates, as well as for more experienced scholars who wish to reflect on how their work will develop in future."Between Sacred and Profane" will be required reading for courses in theology, religion and contemporary culture for many years to come.

This open access book offers an unprecedented analysis of child welfare schemes, situating them in the wider context of post-war policy debates about the care of children. Between 1945 and 1970, an estimated 3,500 children were sent from Britain to Australia, unaccompanied by their parents, through child migration schemes funded by the Australian and British Governments and delivered by churches, religious orders and charities. Functioning in a wider history of the migration of unaccompanied children to overseas British colonies, the post-war schemes to Australia have become the focus of public attention through a series of public reports in Britain and Australia that have documented the harm they caused to many child migrants.Whilst addressing the wide range of organisations involved, the book focuses particularly on knowledge, assumptions and decisions within UK Government Departments and asks why these schemes continued to operate in the post-war period despite oftenfailing to adhere to standards of child-care set out in the influential 1946 Curtis Report. Some factors – such as the tensions between British policy on child-care and assisted migration – are unique to these schemes. However, the book also examines other factors such as complex government systems, fragmented lines of departmental responsibility and civil service cultures that may contribute to the failure of vulnerable people across a much wider range of policy contexts.

This open access book offers an unprecedented analysis of child welfare schemes, situating them in the wider context of post-war policy debates about the care of children. Between 1945 and 1970, an estimated 3,500 children were sent from Britain to Australia, unaccompanied by their parents, through child migration schemes funded by the Australian and British Governments and delivered by churches, religious orders and charities. Functioning in a wider history of the migration of unaccompanied children to overseas British colonies, the post-war schemes to Australia have become the focus of public attention through a series of public reports in Britain and Australia that have documented the harm they caused to many child migrants.Whilst addressing the wide range of organisations involved, the book focuses particularly on knowledge, assumptions and decisions within UK Government Departments and asks why these schemes continued to operate in the post-war period despite oftenfailing to adhere to standards of child-care set out in the influential 1946 Curtis Report. Some factors – such as the tensions between British policy on child-care and assisted migration – are unique to these schemes. However, the book also examines other factors such as complex government systems, fragmented lines of departmental responsibility and civil service cultures that may contribute to the failure of vulnerable people across a much wider range of policy contexts.