Jung argues, beliefs cannot be contested and do not need to be proven in the formal sense of the word. Beliefs cannot be said to be wrong or untrue, they exist as facts in the minds of men as independent psychic experiences they do not need any other physical proof. He stresses, ‘physical’ is not the only criterion of truth, there are psychic truths which are equally true although they cannot be proven the same way that physical truths can. Jung agrees, there is no logical answer to this conflict and says, both sides are wrong in as much as they are right. that faith depends on whether you believe that Christ was really born from a virgin conception vs the argument that considers it scientifically impossible. He refers to the conflict that accompanies the traditional Christian belief system, namely that a thing is only true if it can be scientifically proven, i.e. In the introduction, Jung says he wishes to address the ‘revered subject of religion’, specifically, the tradition of the Christian faith. He says concepts about religion are based on human imagination, on things merely heard about, not physically and empirically seen, and are therefore not finite. Throughout Answer to Job, Jung demonstrates the importance of imagination when relating to the numinous. The story of Job is relevant in the context of modern-day psychology as it serves as an analogy for coming to terms with God by directly confronting the ‘numinosum’. God and the Christian myth was very much a reality for Jung, but he viewed formal religion as a defence against having a religious experience. He says, if we integrate the numinous, the ego will in the same way come to terms with the self. It is only through the lived experience of the archetype, if we are prepared to engage with the tensions, that we may be able to understand life in a spiritual context. Jung argues, the idea of God is based on unconscious aspects and relates to archetypal images which are ‘metaphysical objects’. We must confront the numinous as a means of protesting against the premises of religious dogma. It is through our personal psychic processes that we interpret the character of God, based on the experience of the ‘numinosum’ and the meaning that this holds for us. He emphasises that religion as a symbol can have an impact on our personal psychology. He says, God is insufficient as an answer for the question about evil in the world. Jung uses the Book of Job, specifically Job’s relationship with God, as a metaphor for man’s relationship to suffering. It is an example of an exploration of Jung’s and God’s consciousness, and can be interpreted as a parallel for the exposition of the unconscious, particularly in the way that man relates to religion. The dynamics between Job and God can be equated to Jung’s dynamics between his ego and self. The book reveals much about Jung’s personal unconscious. He addresses the idea of God from the perspective of his own personal processes that related to his individuation individuation for Jung was a form of religion. Critics of the book have said that Jung judges God, but such criticism is mostly based on uninformed naiveté. In using the story of Job, Jung demonstrates his belief that one should be permitted to challenge God. Jung’s relationship with religion was influenced by the conflict he experienced in his relationship with his strictly religious, authoritative father, as well as the issues he had with the Christian church of his time. In Answer to Job, Jung projects his inner conflict around religion and suffering onto the core nature of God. He asks an emotionally charged question, similar to the one Job and Christ asked, asking why God had forsaken him. Jung feels repressed anger towards God and he seems to be wrestling with God the same way Jacob wrestled with the angel of God. This was at a time when the world was asking questions around humanity and even insanity, after the atrocities of World War II. The monster within me carl jung professional#Jung faced his own set of personal, religious and professional challenges and was grappling with the idea of good and evil that he saw in himself and in the world around him. One gets the sense that he felt compelled to write the book, that it was urged from the depths of his unconscious. It is written in a passionate, unrestrained style in which Jung often repeats himself. Jung wrote Answer to Job in his old age when he was ailing and feverish. In Answer to Job, Jung demonstrates his in-depth knowledge of the Bible however, what makes the book remarkable is the fact that it is a personal and authentic exposition of the subject of human suffering as it relates to the Christian religion. It is regarded as one of Jung’s most controversial works. Answer to Job was first published in 1952 in German and was included in Jung’s “Collected Works”, as part of volume 11.
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