PETER
TYLER
St
Mary’s University, London
Paper Title: “Rabindranath Tagore and Ludwig Wittgenstein: Two Sentinels on the Borderlands of Modernity.”
Abstract
As
part of the ongoing dialogue between the sacred and the secular that this
conference celebrates this paper shall explore how two great masters of
twentieth century thought engaged with the mid-twentieth century secular agenda
and how one influenced the other. One hundred years ago, Ludwig Wittgenstein
(1889 – 1951) the Austrian philosopher, fought for the Austro-Hungarian army
during the First World War and subsequently experienced a personal,
professional and philosophical crisis. In the aftermath of the war, as he
sought to rebuild his life, he came across the writings of his contemporary
Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), the Bengali poet and social reformer. This
paper will explore the impact of Tagore’s work on Wittgenstein and how it opens
up new perspectives for theologians today.
Professor Peter Tyler is Professor of Pastoral Theology and Spirituality at St Mary's
University, London. He has written and lectures extensively on pastoral
theology, mysticism and psychology. His latest books include ‘Picturing the
Soul: Revisioning Psychotherapy and Spiritual Direction’ (Dharmaram: 2014),
‘Teresa of Avila: Doctor of the Soul’ (Bloomsbury:2013) and 'The Return to the
Mystical - Ludwig Wittgenstein, Teresa of Avila and the Christian Mystical
Tradition' (Continuum:2011). He is a registered psychotherapist in private
practice. You can follow his blog onhttp://insoulpursuit.blogspot.