Religion, Gnosticism, Encounter with the East, and Alchemy
JUNG ON RELIGION, GNOSTICISM, HIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE EAST, AND ALCHEMY RUNNING HEAD: Jung, Religion, Gnosticism, the East, Alchemy David Johnston Jung, Religion, Gnosticism, the East, Alchemy 2 ABSTRACT In this paper I briefly survey the importance that Jung placed on the religious instinct, his life long engagement with Christianity, as well as his abiding interest in Gnosticism, his encounter with the East, and his discovery of the Grail tradition and alchemy. I also look at Jung’s observations on Nazism, his realization of the living God and concept of the unus mundus. Jung sees Christianity as an ailing religion in need of healing. From his studies of the East, he gains much supportive knowledge that affirms his own empirical findings and personal experiences. While in India he realizes that his mission is to provide healing for the Western soul, which he understands requires compensatory truths for its Christian worldview that he particularly uncovers in Gnosticism, medieval alchemy, and the Grail tradition. Jung, Religion, Gnosticism, the East, Alchemy 3 JUNG ON RELIGION, GNOSTICISM, HIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE EAST, AND ALCHEMY Introduction In this paper I briefly survey the importance that Jung places on the religious instinct, his life long engagement with Christianity, as well as his interest in Gnosticism, his encounter with the East, and his discovery of the Grail tradition and alchemy. I also look at Jung’s observations on Nazism, his realization of the living God and the concept of the unus mundus. Jung understands Christianity to be an ailing religion in need of healing. He regards Gnosticism as a speculative psychology of abiding interest that affirms his own empirical findings and personal experiences as did his studies of the East, where he also gains much supportive knowledge.
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