Four Square: The Story of Fourfold Life (Signed First Edition)

Inscribed First Edition, First Printing of this professional memoir of a dynamic early 20th century individual who was a novelist, psychiatrist, and Episcopal priest. Oliver was the innovative chief medical officer for the courts in Baltimore who had shifted to psychology and medicine after early and somewhat traumatic clerical training. He wrote movingly of the complexities and obstacles of the religious life in his novel "Victim and Victor" which was a controversial runner up for the 1929 Pulitzer Prize. Issues surrounding homosexuality profoundly shaped his perspectives, even if often only elliptically addressed in his writings. He was disposed during his clerical training for homosexuality and sexual orientation and its repression informed his perspectives on psychology and religion. Inscribed and dated by John Rathbone Oliver on the front endpaper. The previous owner's bookplate is also on that page. Brown cloth, 305 pages. The dust jacket has a chip at the top edge of the spine and is a bit soiled.…