Book: The Shoes of the Fisherman
First Published 1963 - Copyright 1963
Author: Morris L West
While I (referring to Kyril Lakota - the story's protagonist - Ed) was in prison and under the long ordeals of interrogation, I learned much about the intricate functioning of the human mind. I am convinced that those who devote themselves to the study of its workings, and of its infirmities, can do a great service to man and the cause of his salvation... We should not, as shepherds of souls, treat this infant science (meaning Psychiatry and Psychology - Ed) with suspicion or hasty censure. Like every other science it can be wrested to ignoble ends. It is inevitable that many who explore the misty country of the soul will make mistakes and false guesses; but every honest research into the nature of man is also an exploration of the divine intent in his regard.
The human psyche is the meeting ground between God and man. It is possible, I think, that some of the meaning of the mystery of (Faith and - Ed) Divine Grace may be revealed when we understand better the working of the subconscious mind, where buried memories and buried guilts and buried impulses germinate for years and then break out into strange flowering... I must encourage competent men (and women - Ed) inside the church to pursue this study, and to co-ordinate with those outside it (meaning the mainstream churches inspired by St Peter and St Paul through the redemptive sacrifice of its High Priest, the Son of Man, Jesus Christ - Ed), to make the best use possible of their discoveries...
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