Psychology & The Cross

A letter from C.G Jung To Count Hermann von Keyserling, Küsnacht, 2 January 1928"Dear Count,Your return to yourself, enforced by illness, is on the right track and is something I have wished and expected for you. You identify with the eternally creative, restless, and ruthless god in yourself, therefore you see through everything personal— a tremendous fate which it would be ridiculous either to praise or to censure!I was compelled to respect Nietzsche’s Amor fati until I had my fill of it, then I built a little house way out in the country near the mountains and carved an inscription on the wall: Philemonis sacrum— Fausti poenitentia, and “ dis-identified” myself with the god. I have never regretted this doubtless very unholy act. By temperament I despise the “ personal,” any kind of “ togetherness,” but it is so strong a force, this whole crushing unspiritual weight of the earth, that I fear it. It can rouse my body to revolt against the spirit so that before reaching the zenith of my flight I fall lamed to earth. That is the danger you too must reckon with. It is also the fear that prevents our friend X from flying. He can be nothing else but intellectual. You have paid a salutary tribute to the earth with your illness. Let’s hope your gods will be equally gracious to you next time!With best wishes for the New Year,Yours sincerely, C.G Jung"Jung ~Carl Jung, Letters Vol. I, Pages 49-50

In this bonus material to episode four of Psychology and the Cross, you get to hear the full dream of C.G Jung about how his dream-father leads him to the "highest presence". A dream that Jung made his own interpretation of but which has also been analyzed by other scholars such as Wolfgang Giegerich. The dream was first shared by Jung in the Aniela Jaffé biography 'Memories, dreams, reflections'.Reading recommendations:A. Jaffé & C.G Jung, Memories, dreams, reflections (Internet Archive)W. Giegerich, Jung’s Millimeter - Feigned Submission (Article)

What do we do if God is dead? British scholar, Paul Bishop examines the links and relationships between Nietzsche's Zarathustra and C.G Jung's Red Book. Understanding Jung's visionary work as an anti-Zarathustra, replying to Nietzsche that, God is not dead, “Er ist lebendiger denn je.” He is more alive than ever.Subscribe on Youtube:https://bit.ly/3sXloJbRecommended reading: Shamdasani, Hillman (2013) Lament of the Dead : Psychology after Jung's Red Book

"I’ve learned an awful lot from Jung. I feel I have an immense debt of gratitude to him, in that way, in that, if you read Jung, you’re really getting a little education in itself. What Jung is trying to do is to reinvest that notion of redemption with meaning. Not in a way that abandons its theological term, but to make it meaningful: an existential redemption in a world where God is dead."Episode description:Paul Bishop is a renowned British scholar who has spent the last twenty-five years researching and writing on the foundational relationship between C.G Jung and Friedrich Nietzsche and Johann Wolfgang Goethe. In this episode, we dive into Jung’s relationship to both these figures but with a special emphasis on the latter and the legend Faust as an archetypal motif. Goethe's Faust struck a chord in Jung and its foundational story when trying to understand Jung’s own inner struggles, motivations, creative contributions, and wrestling with the religious question. We explore an “Imitatio Fausti” in contrast to an “Imitatio Christi” and the seeking for psychological transformation. How the question of finding redemption in a secularized world is portrayed in the story Faust, and transmitted through Jung’s life and psychology.Subscribe on YoutubeMusic played in this episode:'One has another' and 'Blue Violets' by Ketsa. Licensed under creativecommons.org by NC-ND 4.0.

Islam basically is acceptance. And this acceptance is not exactly identical with the Christian faith. Islam has—this is what interests me very much—in the Islamic perception of the mystery, I would say it is more open to the mystery: that God can also destroy. There’s no happy end guaranteed.Episode description:Bernard Sartorius is a Jungian Analyst based in Zurich and a scholar of Islamic Studies. In this episode, we’re investigating individuation and Islamic faith, in relation to Christianity. We discuss psychological agnosticism, religious fundamentalism, and Jung’s difficulties with surrendering. How Jung, in the context of a dream shared in the biography ‘Memories, dreams, reflections', grapples with bowing in front of the mystery.Subscribe on YoutubeMusic played in this episode:‘Roam’, ‘Chrystal life’ and ‘Aimless by Ketsa. Licensed under creativecommons.org by NC-ND 4.0.Recommended dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLBa_nu0kPY&t=32s

In this extra material to the third episode of Psychology & The Cross, philosopher and theology professor Sean McGrath speak on how to advance the Jungian paradigm and what is needed to "dream the dream forward". McGrath also talks of how he thinks that Professor Sonu Shamdasani single-handedly made Jung academically respectful as well as in his belief that it's the analysands and analysts that can advance the paradigm. Last but not least, we discuss the role of the Red Book and how the proper response to is is to make your own. 

What are the obstacles when trying to bridge the psychology of C.G Jung and Christianity? The obstacle according to Philosopher Sean McGrath is 'psychological absolutism'.In this extra material from the third episode of the podcast 'Psychology & The Cross' Professor McGrath discusses the work of Wolfgang Giegerich, the limitations of psychology, and Jung as a guerilla theorist.Subscribe on Youtube:https://bit.ly/3sXloJb

At the end of the day, psychological integration is not salvation. And I think that most people who have done the work will be ready enough to concede that. This is not the end of the road, it’s not salvation. What do we want? We don’t want just integrated individuals, but we want a redeemed order of being, we want justice on earth.Episode description:Sean McGrath is a Professor of Philosophy and Theology, a researcher of the philosophical roots of psychoanalysis, and a former professed Catholic Monk. In this episode, McGrath shares some of his learnings from the monastery, before helping us to understand how C.G Jung (mis)understood evil, and the role of the feminine in Christianity. MLast, but not least, McGrath helps us to connect how inner work and individuation link to the actions in the outer world: how by laying down your life for your community you might find the inner peace that you seek. Subscribe on YoutubeMusic played in this episode ‘Bed’ by Ketsa, ‘Amsterdam’ and ‘Amsterdam Blac Koyote Remix’ by Lasers licensed under creativecommons.org by NC-ND 4.0.

In this extra material to episode 2 of Psychology & The Cross scholar Amy Cook explains Kierkegaard and Jung's views on anxiety, despair and neurosis and the potential held in mental suffering. 

My conversation with Amy Cook about Kierkegaard and Jung in the episode of Psychology & The Cross was so rich. I, therefore, decided to share some extra material highlighting specific topics discussed in her book, ‘Jung & Kierkegaard – Researching a kindred spirit in the shadows’. In this short segment, Amy explains both Kierkegaard and Jung's views on 'the therapeutic value of faith'.