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GOD AND THE UNCONSCIOUS
Author(s) -
Bomford Rodney
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
british journal of psychotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.442
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1752-0118
pISSN - 0265-9883
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0118.2002.tb00035.x
Subject(s) - unconscious mind , personal unconscious , collective unconscious , revelation , consciousness , humanity , faith , narrative , psychology , psychoanalysis , freudian slip , philosophy , mysticism , epistemology , theology , linguistics
This paper summarizes the author's recent book, The Symmetry of God . It proposes that the concepts of God in the Christian tradition and of the Unconscious in Freudian theory have much in common. In particular, the mystics may be seen as explorers of the Unconscious and religious narrative as revelation of the Unconscious into Consciousness. Matte Blanco's theory about the logic of the Unconscious is used to support this. Theology has often turned to philosophy for ‘models’ of God and using the Unconscious as such opens discussion between spiritual and psychological understandings of humanity. While the traditional Christian language is retained, it is given a less objective feel than is customary, and religious truth is sharply distinguished from factual or empirical truth. This may make the language of faith more accessible to those who find literal interpretations incredible.