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The concept of God in the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Carl Gustav Jung has devoted considerable attention to the study of man's image or concept of God. This dissertation investigates Jung's theories and findings relevant to man's concept of God, sets forth a systematic presentation of these theories and findings, compares Jung's concept of God with a Christian concept of God as stated by Emil Brunner, and evaluates critically Jung's concept of God.
An examination of Jung's works revealed that the concept of God in analytical psychology is based on Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and its archetypes.
When Jung applies his theory of the collective unconscious to his observations of various religious phenomena, he concludes that there is a certain spiritual content of the human psyche which he calls the God archetype. In other words, he regards God as an archetype of the collective unconscious which expresses itself regularly in archetypal images or symbols.
When the statements about the concept of God in Jung's psychology are drawn together and set forth in a systematic presentation, we observe four important factors:
First, Jung is certain that what man experiences as revelation is the manifestation of the God archetype from deep within the collective unconscious.
Second, Jung asserts that since God is an archetype we are forced to think of God as relative. Thus, God is as dependent upon man as man is upon God.
Third, the essential aspect of the concept of God is "wholeness" or "completeness." Therefore, He is both good and evil, darkness as well as light.
Fourth, Jung contends that the Godhead is composed of a quaternity rather than a trinity. [TRUNCATED] / 2031-01-01

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/34473
Date January 1964
CreatorsBrooks, Henry Curtis
PublisherBoston University
Source SetsBoston University
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis/Dissertation

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