Books by Kenneth Bragan

Kenneth Bragan believes Christianity is approaching a time of change, one that is under pressure from changing world views. The religion is changing from a largely belief-based faith to one that is more experience-based."I present Thomas Merton as an exemplar of the latter and Laurence Freeman as an advocate of meditative Christianity, which increases in importance as it receives support from developments in neuroscience. These new directions may well bring much needed renewal," he states.The retired psychiatrist wrote New Directions Towards Christian Renewal because he feels that Christianity is no longer doing what it has the potential to do."This latter mode, that of natural spirituality (standing in contradistinction to supernatural spirituality), is the very future of a Christianity that engages with exegesis and matters of faith without the myopia of literalism, instead allowing for the allegorical and poetic dimensions of scripture to rush forward unfettered by the limitations of historical inexactitudes taken as dogma. Kenneth Bragan brilliantly and persuasively sets forth this new paradigm with rigorous scholarship, biblical analysis, and the passion of the faithful. New Directions Towards Christian Renewal is a remarkable and inspiring work, a piece that is both radically insightful and undoubtedly trailblazing." - Charles Asher, reviewer(About the Author)Born in a small coal mining town near Newcastle, England, Kenneth Bragan now resides in New Zealand, "one of earth's most beautiful places."

Women Who Wrote for Their Lives: The Healing Power of Creative Writing was inspired by author Janet Frame, the late New Zealand writer who penned novels, poetry, and short stories, as well as her own powerful autobiography.Frame's dramatic personal history included years of psychiatric hospitalisation. Born in 1924, Frame passed away in 2004. During her early life, patients with severe mental health issues received what today would be considered grim treatment. Days before the author was scheduled for a lobotomy, the procedure was cancelled when her first book of short stories won a national literary prize. Author and retired psychiatrist Kenneth Bragan realizes how powerful writing can be as a therapeutic tool. He says, "Starting with Janet Frame's remarkable recovery to become a writer of international repute after having spent many years in mental hospitals, I went on to find four other well-known writers who had to keep mental suffering at bay through writing."He explores The Healing Power of Creative Writing from a psychiatric perspective in his book."[This book] is a stunning exploration of the intersection of mental health and the arts. Author Kenneth Bragan presents a rigorous analysis of the work and lives of five eminent female authors, demonstrating how their creative processes both reflected and helped alleviate the struggles of their mental illnesses. From Frame to Woolf to du Maurier, Bragan argues…that literary history presents us with unique strategies for betterment…allowing agency and expression to guide us therapeutically to a better understanding of the self… [it is] essential reading for anyone looking for a creative approach to betterment." - Charles Asher, reviewerwww.sbprabooks.net/KennethBragan