By Boh Bongiovanni, MA
I. Why is it so important to think about the image of God
A. Notable quotes by Edward Edinger
i. “The history of Western man can be viewed as a history of its God-images, the primary formulations of how mankind orients itself to the basic questions of life, its mysteries. “
ii. The God-image as “what we live by whether we know it or not.”
iii. God-image is a synonym for the Self, particularly the “transpersonal center shared by the whole of humanity.”
iv. “God-images are modes of expression of humanity’s experience and understanding of the autonomous psyche.”
v. There are six major stages in the evolution of the Western God-image: animism, matriarchy, hierarchical polytheism, tribal monotheism, universal monotheism, and individuation.
vi. The God-image is not synonymous with the unknown and unknowable God, which exists beyond the image.
vii. On the one hand, the God-image has within itself a latent dynamic tendency to evolve and develop. On the other hand, there is evidence to indicate its development and dynamism results from the feedback it receives from the conscious egos.
B. Implications
i. Each of us is born with a connection to the God-image in potentia, in a potential form. The experiences of our life develop the image, for us and for all of humanity. The image, in its potential form, is wholeness. In our individual lives, seldom if ever is the potential fully actualized. Only segments of the image are lived and made conscious.
ii. An analogy – the image is like a photographic negative, containing a whole image. Our lives are like the exposure to light and the photo development chemicals that transform the negative into an image. But, the image is not fully developed, because one lifetime does not contain enough experiences of enough different types.
iii. It’s particularly problematic if the symbols and myths given to us by our culture are stunted and censored, and thus discourage a more full evolution of the God-image.
II. The pros and cons of the Trinity
A. In some ways, the symbol of the Trinity represents a major step forward
i. Depicts an internally complex and self-related entity, as contrasted to tri-theism or simplistic monotheistic unity.
ii. Reflects basic truths about the nature of the Self and its dynamics
1. Father represents the source of energy in the psyche, the prime mover and creator.
2. Son represents the emergent structure, or logos, of consciousness that supplants a previous, self-alienated ego.
3. Holy Spirit represents the function that mediates between the ego and the Self.
B. Problem is in what the Trinity lacks, or leaves out, or discourages in the further evolution of the God-image.
i. Nature tends to organize itself in quaternities. At its face, a trinity lacks wholeness and balance.
ii. The “missing fourth” includes matter, evil, and the feminine. Although these are distinct aspects of the God-image, they have all been repressed into the unconscious. As a result, they tend to contaminate and color each other in consciousness.
iii. Whatever is banished from the God-image becomes projected on ourselves and on our fellow human beings, often in the most negative way.
III. NonWestern Images
A. Where Judeo-Christianity has held a dominant position, the underlying cultural direction appears to be the expression of individualism, to an extreme.
i. Ego perceives itself to be alone, at the center of existence, fearing annihilation
ii. The challenge: To be unique in the context of history and community
B. In Asia, particularly in those regions where Buddhism and Taoism have predominated, the underlying cultural direction appears to be the slow evolution of the collective
i. The ego perceives itself to be part of a greater pattern of meaning and purpose, aspiring to merge with that unity
ii. The challenge: To remain in context, but to find one’s uniqueness
iii. Jung’s concepts of religion remain relevant. For instance, the concept of “Tao” has many parallels with the Jungian idea of the Self and the collective unconscious from which we all emerge and to which we eventually return.
IV. A new religion for a new aeon
A. Jung doubted that religion would fade away: we are, by our nature, religious, i.e., longing for connection to a greater meaning, rooted in history, stretching into the future.
B. The question is: Will conventional religion adapt and evolve sufficiently to meet the needs of the new aeon?
i. Will the new image of God be complete – restoring matter, the feminine, and the dark aspects?
ii. Will the new religions allow for individuation in historical and social context?
iii. What new symbols, rituals, and scriptures will emerge?
iv. How will the new religion help humanity deal with the fundamental challenge of this era: sustainability.