A post-Jungian reading of the Book of Baruch

Psychological Hermeneutics for Biblical Themes and …, 2012

In the years leading up to the publication of Wayne Rollins' Jung and the Bible (1983) and for a couple of years following, a synchronicity seemed to be bubbling beneath the surface of biblical studies. Although some scholars had discovered the affinity between the work of C. G.

Biblical Interpretation 23:78-100, 2015

This paper evaluates Jungian psychoanalytic approaches to Hebrew Bible texts by way of two readings of the book of Ruth: those of Yehezkel Kluger and Nomi Kluger-Nash. In so doing, it provides a brief synopsis of Jungian approaches to Hebrew Bible texts and the process of individuation. It then evaluates the two readings mentioned according to the author and Ricoeur’s criteria for adequate interpretation. Having done so, it attempts to draw conclusions on the general (and potential) value of Jungian biblical hermeneutics, particularly as it affects the appraisal of women in the Hebrew Bible and the incorporation of Jewish tradition and scholarship in Hebrew Bible hermeneutics. Finally, it endeavours to sketch a way forward.

Biblical Interpretation, 2015

This paper evaluates Jungian psychoanalytic approaches to Hebrew Bible texts by way of two readings of the book of Ruth: those of Yehezkel Kluger and Nomi Kluger-Nash. In so doing, it provides a brief synopsis of Jungian approaches to Hebrew Bible texts and the process of individuation. It then evaluates the two readings mentioned according to the author and Ricoeur's criteria for adequate interpretation. Having done so, it attempts to draw conclusions on the general (and potential) value of Jungian biblical hermeneutics, particularly as it affects the appraisal of women in the Hebew Bible and the incorporation of Jewish tradition and scholarship in Hebrew Bible hermeneutics. Finally, it endeavours to sketch a way forward.

Verbum et Ecclesia, 2004

This article reflects on the contribution� that can� be made to the interpretation of the Bible by employing the analytical psychology of Carl Jung. After some relevant biographical considerations on Jung, his view of religion and the Bible is briefly considered, followed by a look into Genesis 1-3 in terms of his distinction of archetypes. It is suggested in the conclusion that Jungian psychological Biblical criticism can lead to a changed, but fresh view on the �authority� or influence of the Bible in the lives of (post)modern human beings and their (ethical) behaviour.

Freud’s materialistic treatment of religion has discouraged and stigmatized inquiries concerning the potential theoretical and clinical utility that biblical stories could offer to the ongoing development of psychoanalysis. As a result, the historical development of psychoanalysis has been disproportionally influenced by the Hellenic ideals that influenced the German humanistic pedagogical value of Bildung, to which Freud was an ardent disciple. However, since it has consistently been recognized that Western culture has been mutually influenced by both biblical and Hellenistic attitudes, it may be warranted to extend this dialectal interplay into the realm of individual psychology, in the process delimiting a space whereby psychoanalysis and biblical thought can constructively coexist. In this vein, prototypical myths from the Greek and biblical traditions can reliably be situated on a psycho-mythological continuum, with Greek myths representing a less integrated level of ego development and biblical narratives reflecting an unambivalent, higher level of psychological organisation. The Greek mythology of Oedipus and the biblical Binding of Isaac (Gen. 22) has been chosen to illustrate this dynamic.

I first met Adele Berlin in 1984 when I asked her advice about pursuing a Ph.D. with a concentration in both Hebrew Bible and psychoanalytic analytic theory. She suggested the Comparative Literature Department at the University of Maryland, where I could study both. I am indebted to her for her mentoring and encouragement. Until recently, reading the Bible was thought to be a rather straightforward procedure. The goal was to respond "properly" by trying to "understand" the text and grasp the "meaning." This changed once psychology became one of the more accepted forms of biblical studies, although, as D. A. Kille has pointed out, psychological biblical criticism has been one of the hidden avenues of biblical interpretation due to the relative lack of organization and coherence within the literature. 1 However, recent shifts in the discipline of biblical studies, along with the increasing influence of psychological perspectives on culture in general have made psychological approaches to the Bible more visible. 2 Of course, the use of psychology in interpreting biblical texts is no more a conceptually unified critical position in biblical studies than in literary studies more generally. The term is associated with scholars

International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, 2013

Applied psychoanalysis is the term used to denote the practice of applying psychoanalytic theoretical concepts to a variety of social and cultural domains. This work focuses on the application of psychoanalytic concepts to the understanding of great works of art or literature. Despite its inherent limitations stemming from the lack of an actual meeting with the patient, character analyses of heroes of dramatic plays or art works is part of the history of psychoanalysis. This work argues for the possible advantages of the use of psychoanalysis to the understanding of enigmatic behaviors of biblical central figures. Ancient rabbinic midrash is suggested as an auxiliary tool that help to uncover unconscious layers of the biblical text. This work uses the enigmatic story of the binding of Isaac and the exegetical midrash about it as an example for such a work. A clinical vignette demonstrates the potential utilization of this analytic interpretation for clinical work and for the teaching of complicated psychoanalytic concepts.

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2004

During the last third of the twentieth century a discipline that applies psychological and psychoanalytic insight to the study of the Bible, has resurfaced within biblical studies. In his book, Soul and Psyche, Wayne Rollins offers a psychological biblical approach as one of the new approaches to Scripture since the 1960’s. This approach tends to bring a renewed appreciation for the role of the human psyche or soul in the history of the Bible and its interpretation.

The Journal of Theological Studies, 2012

This article is a wide-ranging consideration of the role that contemporary academic psychology might play in the study of the Bible. I begin by examining the historical reasons for suspicion of psychology within the community of biblical scholarship, focusing on several perennial objections. Having addressed these objections, I go on to set out a framework for the legitimate use of psychology in enhancing understanding of the process of production and reception of the biblical texts, and of elucidating their meaning. Finally, I suggest that some contemporary methodological quality-control systems from psychology might inform the question of what constitutes a good reading of a particular text. I explore this issue further by using the example of trauma processing in relation to the New Testament, suggesting that if the text is to be received as transformative, a good reading is likely to be dissonant, challenging, or ugly. © 2012 The Author