Jung & Christianity on the 'Medicine path' podcast
In conversation with Brian James
I had an interesting conversation about Jung & Christianity with Brian James who is a psychological counsellor and host of the excellent podcast Medicine Path. It’s available on Spotify below, all other podcast platforms, and on Youtube.
I also shared the reading list with Brian with some selected works for those of you who are just starting to explore the fertile field of Jungian psychology and Christianity.
Reading list
•Hillman, J. Shamdasani, S. Lament of the Dead: Psychology After Jung’s Red Book, 2013, W.W. Norton & Company
•Kempis, T. My Imitation of Christ, 1982, Confraternity of the Precious Blood
•Homans, P. Jung in Context Modernity and the Making of a Psychology, 1979, The University of Chicago Press
•Stein, M. Jung’s Treatment of Christianity: The Psychotherapy of a Religious Tradition, 2015, Chiron Publications
•Giegerich, W. Dreaming the Myth Onwards: C.G Jung on Christianity and on Hegel, 2020, Routledge
•Lammers, A.C In God’s shadow The Collaboration of Victor White and C.G Jung, 1994, Paulist Press
•Cook, Amy, Jung and Kierkegaard: Researching a Kindred Spirit in the Shadows, 2018, Routledge
•Jehle-Wildberger M. C.G Jung Adolf Keller, On Theology & Psychology, 2020, Philemon Foundation
•Jaffé, A., Jung, C.G., Memories, Dreams, Reflections, 1961, Random House
You discuss Jung's vision of the giant turd shattering the Basel cathedral. In my view, it needn't be interpreted as the shattering of Christianity as a whole. After all, the Basel Minster is an important monument of the Swiss Reformed church. It represents a faith that has been accused of being overly rationalistic. (It is "refuted" in several videos on YouTube.) Luther did not approve of Zwingli's ideas, which led to a dispute between them, and he refused an alliance between the two churches.
I think Jung overinterpreted this fantasy of his. It probably only meant that the faith of the church didn't suit him in this stage of life, and for the time being he had to overcome the neurotic split. He had an urge to break free and go his own way. It didn't rule out that he someday would return to Christianity. Later in life he always beats around the bush.
Overinterpretation is a problem in Jungian psychology. A dream or a fantasy generally refers to the present situation and mustn't be understood as laying out the map for the rest of life. The fantasy only represents an attempt of solution to the neurotic problem at this particular time. It is not a theological statement against Christianity.