Iain Robertson

Iain Robertson, a Scottish author and former professional diver, has written several books exploring topics around history, philosophy, and faith. He began writing with a dissertation in 1989, and has since published works on religion, culture, and landscape in Scotland. His primary works attempt to bridge themes between modern religion and ancient faith.

Iain Robertson grew up in the Scottish countryside, and after trying several other occupations, he became a diver in the North Sea. He has also worked overseas in the oil industry and held a position as senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast. Robertson obtained his PhD in 1998, examining the relationship between culture and spirituality in Scotland.

Iain Robertson’s books often look at Scotland’s historical and religious contexts. His first book was The Influence of the Celtic Fringe, which focused on the impact of pre-Roman cultures on modern Scotland. His second book, God's Country, examined Scottish spirituality, using the relationships between politics, society, and religion to contextualize contemporary spirituality in Scotland. Robertson has also written about his own experiences as a diver in Scotland, writing about the environment and the danger faced by divers in Scotland.

Iain Robertson has also written books on philosophy and faith more broadly. His book Beyond Beliefs was published in 2011 and focused on major elements of belief systems into philosophical terms. He pays particular attention to Buddhism, Islam, and the Judeo-Christian traditions, providing a useful framework for understanding a range of belief systems. His more recent work, The Language of Faith, was published in 2016. This book looks at how words and symbols are used to convey religious ideas and understanding. Taking a broad view of language, he examines the power of symbols to represent faith, theology, and philosophy.

In recent years Robertson has written several books on Scotland. His Return to Iona, published in 2017, looks at the history and culture of the island from the perspective of a Scottish diver. His 2019 book, Landscape and Memory, examines the role that landscape and geography play in Scottish culture and history. He looks at how people interact with the landscape and develop memories of it.

Iain Robertson’s works have received acclaim for their exploration of Scotland’s religious culture as well as their philosophical examination of faith. His writings negotiate the traditional beliefs which inform current faith practices, and provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between religion, landscape, and culture.