Bio
Robyn teaches in the area of Pastoral and Spiritual Care at Whitley College. She is also Program Director of Spiritual Care for the University of Divinity in the School of Professional Practice. She has been involved in theological education for over two decades and lectured at Alphacrucis University College for 8 years before joining Whitley. As well as being an academic, Robyn leads retreats in Australia and England and is a spiritual director. She attends Northside Baptist Church.
As well as writing several books, including the Archbishop of York’s Advent Book for 2021, she has written many articles and has presented on Renovaré podcasts and ABC Radio’s ‘God Forbid’ program.
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. She is also Adjunct Associate Professor for the Australian Centre of Christianity and Culture in Canberra (Charles Sturt University).
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
- Grad Dip (Spiritual Direction), Wellspring, University of Divinity, Australia
- ATCL (Piano), Trinity College London, England
Units Currently Teaching:
- Dementia, Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care
Research Areas/ Preferred Areas of Supervision
- Spiritual care
- Spirituality and ageing
- Spiritual Formation
- Christian spirituality
- Soul care
- Theological anthropology
Recent Publications:
Books:
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:
“History and Spiritual Formation: Baron Friedrich von Hugel’s spiritual nurture”. Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture 92 (2023): forthcoming.
“Evelyn Underhill: An Anglican ‘Spiritual Ecumenist’”. Anglican Theological Review 105, no. 1 (2023): forthcoming.
“Reservoir or canal: Spiritual retreats for chaplains caring for people with dementia”. Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging (2023) (published online 20 February 2023).
“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 (2020): 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:
“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), 2023.
“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.
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