Bio
Robyn is Associate Professor in Spirituality and Spiritual Care at Whitley College. She received an ORSAS scholarship and additional funding from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, to study her PhD in theology full-time. She also has a Masters in Spiritual Theology (Regent College, Canada), MA (University of London) and B.Ed Hons 1, University Medal (University of Sydney). Robyn also holds her Graduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction from Wellspring (University of Divinity) and an ATCL in piano (Trinity College London).
Robyn has researched in the area of spiritual care for people with dementia and is currently researching spiritual care for Aged Care Chaplains. For the past decade, Robyn has led spiritual retreats in Australia and England and she is a spiritual director. She gave a keynote lecture at the 8th International Conference on Ageing and Spirituality in 2019 and has received several research grants. Robyn is on the Executive Committee for the International Network for the Study of Spirituality and is on the Editorial Board and Book Reviews Editor for the Journal for the Study of Spirituality.
Robyn has over two decades of experience in tertiary education and received the ‘Excellence in Teaching Award’ from Alphacrucis University College in 2020. She attends Northside Baptist Church.
Robyn is the author of two books, including the ‘Archbishop of York’s Advent Book for 2021.’ Alongside an extensive list of journal publications in highly ranked journals such as the Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging and Theology Today, Robyn has been a guest on ABC RN’s God Forbid, Renovaré podcasts & Radix Magazine (both USA) and Church House (UK).
Qualifications:
- PhD, University of St Andrews, Scotland
- MCS (Spiritual Theology), Regent College, Vancouver, Canada
- MA, University of London. England
- BEd (Hons), University of Sydney, Australia
- GDSD (Spiritual Direction), Wellspring, University of Divinity, Australia
- ATCL (Piano), Trinity College London, England
Units Currently Teaching:
- Dementia, Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care
- Pastoral & Spiritual Care in Suffering, Grief and Loss
Research Areas/ Preferred Areas of Supervision
- Spiritual care
- Spirituality and ageing
- Spiritual formation
- Christian spirituality
- Soul care
- Theological anthropology
Recent Publications:
Books:
Music of Eternity: Meditations for Advent with Evelyn Underhill. The Archbishop of York’s Advent Book. London: SPCK, 2021.
The Spiritual Formation of Evelyn Underhill. London: SPCK, 2020.
Evelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book (ed). London: SPCK, 2018.
Articles:
“Love and ‘Spiritual Ecumenism’: a foundational backdrop for Underhill’s ‘The Spiritual Life’.” Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care 17, no. 1 (2024): published online Mar 8, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/19397909241234307
“Reservoir or canal: Spiritual retreats for chaplains caring for people with dementia”. Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging 36, no.2 (2024): 157-172.
“History and Spiritual Formation: Baron Friedrich von Hugel’s spiritual nurture”. Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture 92 (2023): 42-67.
“Evelyn Underhill: An Anglican ‘Spiritual Ecumenist’”. Anglican Theological Review 105, no. 1 (2023): 5-23.
“Peace and Spirituality: ‘The Theological Kindergarten’”. Journal for the Study of Spirituality, 12, no. 2 (2022): 120-130.
“A practitioner’s reflection upon the spiritual formation of teachers: the wisdom of Evelyn Underhill”. Journal of Religious Education 70, no. 1 (2022):109-125.
“Glimpsing Eternity humbles us: Visions and Women Mystics”. St Mark’s Review 260 (2022): 29-44.
“Bearing the Beams of Love: The Spiritual Nurture of Lucy Menzies”. The Scottish Episcopal Institute Journal 5, no.4 (2021): 27-38.
“‘Essentials’ for Worship: Evelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book”. Studia Liturgica 51, no. 2 (2021):187-202.
“Duplicity behind stained glass: shattered pride, childlike ‘self-knowledge’ and the role of community.” Theology Today78, no. 2 (2021): 106-122.
“Corporate Worship for People with Dementia: Rituals and Sensory Stimulation.” Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging 33, no. 2 (2021): 206-222.
“Our Spiritual War-Work in the Age of COVID-19.” Stimulus 27, no. 2 (2020).
“Darkness and Light in Evelyn Underhill.” Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care 12, no. 1 (2019): 135-151.
“’Supernatural’ forgiveness: Evelyn Underhill’s insights in dialogue with Monique Lisbon.” Theology Today 75, no. 4 (2018): 458-468.
“‘Suffering Well’: Insights for spiritual directors from Friedrich von Hügel and Abbé Huvelin.” Journal for the Study of Spirituality 8 no. 2 (2018): 130-141.
“Proclaiming and cultivating ‘childlikeness‘: a subversive thread in Christian anthropology.” International Journal of Children’s Spirituality 23, no. 1 (2018): 45-52.
“Echoes of von Hügel in the Spiritual Direction of Evelyn Underhill.” Studies in Spirituality 28 (2017): 257-280.
“‘Soul Care’ for people with dementia: Insights from Friedrich von Hügel’s ‘three Elements of Religion.’” Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging 28, no.3 (2016): 155-166.
“Mysticism and the Atonement: Experiential Insights from Evelyn Underhill.” Pacifica 29, no. 1 (2016): 99-111.
“The Mystical Theologian: the influence of Abbé Huvelin on Baron Friedrich von Hügel.” Downside Review 131 (2013): 184-195.
“The Abbé and the Baron: Henri Huvelin’s Spiritual Nurture of Friedrich von Hügel.” Studies in Spirituality 23 (2013): 135-200.
“The Butterfly and the King: Self-knowledge in Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle.” Studies in Spirituality 19 (2009): 113-133.
“Mature Spirituality according to von Hügel: a practitioner’s voice.” Pacifica 21, no. 3 (2008): 329-346.
Book Chapters:
“Evelyn Underhill’s perennial significance: attentive to beauty.” In The Scholar-Gipsy Volume 1: Thrownness, Memoricide & The Great Tradition, edited by Matthew Steem and Wayne Northey, 232-250. Abbotsford, BC: St. Macrina Press, 2024.
“Esther de Waal” (Chapter 20) In Michael Brierley and Stephen Burns, The Vitality of Tradition: British Anglican Spirituality (pp. forthcoming). Leiden: Brill (Series on Anglican and Episcopal History).
“Soul Care and Liturgical Theology.” In Doing Liturgical Theology: Method and Context, edited by Stephen Burns and Jason McFarland (Peeters), forthcoming.
“Liturgy and Spiritual Formation.” In Spiritual Formation for the Global Church: A Multi-Denominational, Multi-Ethnic Approach, edited by John Frederick, 80-99. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2021.
“Being Human: Spiritual retreats and soul care” In Companioning at the Edges: Exploring New Dimensions of Spiritual Direction in Australia, edited by Peter Bentley & Ann Lock, 291-310. Melbourne: Wellspring, 2021.
“Ecumenical beauty: Evelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book.” In When We Pray: The Future of Common Prayer, edited by Stephen Burns & Robert Gribben, 89-111. Bayswater: Coventry Press, 2020.
“Teresa of Avila: the Mystic Christian.” In Sources of the Christian Self, edited by James M. Houston and Jens Zimmerman, 423-441. Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 2018.