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The Archetypal Roots of Culture and Religion Journal of Religion and Theology Volume 3, Issue 4, 2019, PP 1-10 ISSN 2637-5907 The Archetypal Roots of Culture and Religion Rev Dr. James O Juma*Dr Danie DuToit, Dr Karen Van Der Merwe Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, South Africa *Corresponding Author: Rev Dr. James O Juma, Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, South Africa. Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Universally, people are rooted in their culture, religion, and language. This literature-based article focuses on the underlying similarities between people from African and Western cultures and life philosophies. The underlying similarities in the two worldviews are discussed from a Jungian perspective. It is argued that on an archetypal level, all human beings and their cultural and religious expressions share common patterns. These similarities are demonstrated by analysing four Jungian constructs – the persona, shadow, anima/animus, and individuation. These constructs provide insight into the deep structural similarities in worldviews, cultures, and religions that may bridge personal, cultural, and religious divisions. Keywords: Archetypes, consciousness/unconsciousness, constructs, worldviews INTRODUCTION consciousness, or awareness. It will be argued that on a deeper or archetypal level, all human THE ARCHETYPAL ROOTS OF CULTURE beings and their cultural and religious AND RELIGION expressions share common patterns. If these Increasing globalisation necessitates that people underlying similarities are more conscious and from different cultures and religions understand acknowledged, it should lead to a better each other and build relationships. According to understanding and tolerance of cultural Barmeyer and Franklin (2016, p. 15), differences. “understanding the otherness is necessary but Many of the bloody wars between cultural not sufficient towards generating groups are based on cultural and/or religious complementarily and synergy from cultural differences; the worst conflicts often occur diversity”. On a personal level, cultural patterns when both of these differences are present. In of emotionally nuanced ideas can cause the recent past, xenophobic trends in South interpersonal misunderstanding and mistrust due Africa, Europe, and the USA are examples of to dissimilar culturally embedded values and how the unconscious, unexamined collective norms. However, openness to such differences judgement is projected on to the „other‟. In the can enrich and contribute to personal and religious domain, some priests‟ hidden professional growth (Barmeyer& Franklin, paedophilia can be viewed as an expression of 2016). the same phenomenon of unawareness. The purpose of this article is to explore whether Although this article focuses on the underlying or not and how selected Jungian constructs similarities that are expressed differently in the might be utilised to enhance intercultural African and Western worldviews, the discussion understanding in the Roman Catholic Church. It will initially centre on the individual, because is argued that Jung‟s constructs provide insight only individuals can be conscious, and the into the deep structural similarities in individual‟s level of consciousness impacts the worldviews, cultures, and religions. Finally, the group‟s level of consciousness. An individual at application of Jungian theory in the religious war with the „self‟, will breed conflicts in the sphere will be highlighted. This is a literature- community. Hollis (2001, p. 48) asserts that “by based study. each person becoming more conscious, the tribe, community gains consciousness”. He further Rationale states “…what is denied in the individual, Jung, a proponent of depth psychology, breeds monsters in the tribe” (Hollis, 2001, p. emphasises both unconsciousness and 14). The importance of this principle is magnified in a religious order. Should the Journal of Religion and Theology V3 ● I4 ● 2019 1 The Archetypal Roots of Culture and Religion religious leader not be conscious, the important concept, which has implications for congregation (tribe) is at risk. The depth inter-cultural and inter-religious understanding psychology approach emphasises the and tolerance. If a person is not self-aware, individual‟s awareness (Jung, 1971), and in this his/her own unresolved issues are projected onto approach, “learning and training becomes self- others, and “unconscious contents are invariably experience” (Link, 2016, p. 19). Only through projected at first to concrete persons and becoming more self-aware can greater situations” (Jung, 1969, p. 6). „Others‟, understanding and tolerance of the „other‟ particularly when significantly different–such as become possible. The more the „other‟ is not persons from a different cultural group–are then understood and rejected, the greater the seen as embodying the unwanted characteristics possibility of hating and fearing that which is of the unaware person. If groups are unaware, foreign. Most of the current literature group members will agree on the unwanted emphasises the need to understand other traits of the „other‟ group, thus creating a cultures (Barmeyer& Franklin, 2016), but few negative–even dehumanising–narrative of such start with the need to understand the self. The a group. The „other‟ can then quite easily „other‟ can only be truly understood if one first become the enemy. It then can be deemed understands oneself. An ancient Greek aphorism acceptable to do anything to the „others‟, even states: „Know thyself‟. If a person does not kill them. Jung (1956, p. 355) states: “a person... know him/herself well, it is close to impossible imagines his worst enemy is in front of him, yet to know and understand another person beyond he carries the enemy within himself”. If a person a superficial level, especially someone from a is unconscious of his/her own suppressed different culture. The group as a whole cannot aspects, some parts of the person is not fully be more conscious than its individual members. accepted and integrated. A conscious person, The opposite is true: a group as a whole has who is at peace with him/herself and his/her been shown to be less conscious than its beliefs, has no need (or compulsion) to react to individual members. or judge another who is merely different. Differences are then just that - differences. In RELIGION AND CULTURE AS EXPRESSIONS contrast, a person who is not conscious and thus OF DEEP HUMAN STRUCTURES not aware of his/her unconscious unresolved In this article, the apriori assumption is that issues and prejudices, is likely to project these human beings by nature are spiritual beings. A un-owned parts of the self onto the disliked, culture‟s religious beliefs and practices are disrespected, or even vilified „other‟ (Battista, manifestations of its members‟ spiritual 1980). Differences are then not merely understandings and expressions. Deep-seated differences, but value-laden judgements of the religious beliefs are often at the heart of cultural „other‟, which frequently legitimises persecution beliefs. Thus, religious beliefs feed and shape of a group but also on an individual level. cultural practices and rituals. If these religious Religious people who are not conscious beliefs are unquestioned, unexamined, and frequently project their own limitations and inflexible, it is likely to lead to religious and difficulties (their sins which are ascribed to the cultural intolerance. Devil) on to the other, thus demonising them. Othering – An Expression of Unconscious If members of a culture share the same Life prejudices and are unconscious of their own projections, the shared misconceptions and From a Jungian perspective, intercultural projections are strengthened. When these understanding and tolerance starts with preconceived ideas are not tested against reality, individuals becoming more conscious and more the prejudices and misconceptions about the self-accepting. An inscription in a church in „other‟ becomes the culture‟s uncontested truth. Rwanda where hundreds of people were killed Self-knowledge, contact with the „other‟, and a during the genocide, loosely translated, reads: culture that encourages critical questioning and “If you knew yourself and you knew me, you tolerance, are the antidotes for inter-cultural would not have killed me” (Du Toit, 2016, p. conflict. 201). Xenophobia can be seen as a consequence of cultural intolerance that stems from not truly Jung‟s theory provides some profound insights knowing oneself and not knowing the „other‟. to guide individuals to self-awareness. Jung‟s main constructs will be explained and applied to The „other‟ has been mentioned a few times in culture and religion in the following paragraphs. this article. In Jungian psychology, it is a very Jung refers to the whole person as the self, 2 Journal of Religion and Theology V3 ● I4 ● 2019 The Archetypal Roots of Culture and Religion which includes both conscious and unconscious “the collective unconscious comprises in itself aspects. In the next section, the conscious and the psychic life of the ancestors, right back to unconscious aspects of the human psyche are the earliest beginnings. It is the matrix of all described. „Consciousness‟ refers to what one is conscious psychic occurrences, and hence exerts aware of, whilst „unconscious‟ refers to that an influence that compromises the freedom of which is hidden. consciousness …” However, the manner in which the collective unconsciousness is Consciousness expressed is influenced by a person‟s cultural Jung differentiated
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