Jung and Kierkegaard Jung and Kierkegaard identifies authenticity, suffering and self-deception as the three key themes that connect the work of Carl Jung and Søren Kierkegaard. There is, in the thinking of these pioneering psychologists of the human condition, a fundamental belief in the healing potential of a reli- gious outlook. This engaging and erudite text explores the significance of the similarities of thinking between Kierkegaard and Jung, bridging the gap between the former’s particular brand of existential Christian psychology and the latter’s own unique philosophy. Given the similarity of their work and experiences that were common to both of their personal biographies, particularly the relationship that each had with his father, one might expect Jung to have found in Kierkegaard a kindred spirit. Yet this was not the case, and Jung viewed Kierkegaard with great scorn. That there exists such a strong comparison and exten- sive overlap in the life and thought of these towering figures of psychology and philosophy leads us to question why it is that Jung so strongly rejected Kierkegaard. Such hostility is particularly fascinating given the striking sim- ilarity that Jung’s own analytical psychology bears to the Christian psychol- ogy upheld by Kierkegaard. Cook’s thought-provoking book fills a very real gap in Jungian scholar- ship and is the first attempt to undertake a direct comparison between Jung and Kierkegaard’s models of development. It is therefore essential reading for academics and postgraduate students with an interest in Jungian and Kierkegaard scholarship, as well as psychology, philosophy and religion more generally. Amy Cook graduated with a degree in History from the University of Aber- deen in 2005. She then went on to study a Master’s Degree in Philosophy and Psychoanalysis at Essex University before completing another masters in Jungian and Post-Jungian Studies. After a brief spell teaching overseas, Amy returned to the UK and began a PhD at Bangor University. She cur- rently lives in North Wales, where she works with young carers to encour- age and support them to reach their full potential. Research in Analytical Psychology and Jungian Studies Series Advisor: Andrew Samuels, Professor of Analytical Psychology, Essex University, UK. The Research in Analytical Psychology and Jungian Studies series features research-focused volumes involving qualitative and quantitative research, historical/archival research, theoretical developments, heuristic research, grounded theory, narrative approaches, collaborative research, practitioner- led research, and self-study. The series also includes focused works by clini- cal practitioners, and provides new research informed explorations of the work of C. G. Jung that will appeal to researchers, academics, and scholars alike. Books in this series Eros and Economy Jung, Deleuze, Sexual Difference Barbara Jenkins Towards a Jungian Theory of the Ego Karen Evers-Fahey A Japanese Jungian Perspective on Mental Health and Culture Wandering Madness Iwao Akita Translated by Waka Shibata and Kittredge Stephenson Jung and Kierkegaard Researching a Kindred Spirit in the Shadows Amy Cook Jung and Kierkegaard Researching a Kindred Spirit in the Shadows Amy Cook First published 2018 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2018 Amy Cook The right of Amy Cook to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 978-1-138-68027-2 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-56373-2 (ebk) Typeset in Sabon by Apex CoVantage, LLC For Arthur Contents Acknowledgements ix PART 1 Introduction 3 1 A holy kind of healing 7 2 Some striking similarities: personal and philosophical 12 3 Introducing Kierkegaard 21 4 Presenting Jung 34 5 The wounds of the father: a shared inheritance 43 PART 2 6 An unconventional Christianity 59 7 Jung and religion 63 8 The therapeutic value of faith 76 9 Grounding ethics in spirit: the medium of our self-realisation 85 10 Suffering and the pain of personal growth: perrissem, nisi perissem 94 11 Authenticity: the creation of one’s genuine self 107 viii Contents PART 3 12 ‘That Religious Neurotic’: Kierkegaard on the couch 129 13 Keeping mum: a powerful silence 135 14 Søren’s spiritual castration: a father’s influence 143 15 To marry or to martyr 154 16 The final years of Søren Kierkegaard: a story of archetypal compensation 167 PART 4 17 The nature of a Kierkegaardian neurosis: Jung’s reception of Kierkegaard 177 18 Kierkegaard and Nietzsche: polar opposites in the mind of Jung 192 19 Summary of discussion 206 20 Conclusion 219 Epilogue: Jung and Kierkegaard: a legacy considered 228 Bibliography 233 Index 242 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Philoso- pher, Jungian Scholar and Cincinnati Bengals Superfan, Dr Lucy Huskinson. Dr Huskinson’s patience, guidance and generosity whilst supervising the PhD thesis that this book grew from has been phenomenal. I suspect such an endeavour was indeed the definition of a thankless task. I am extremely grateful for our many useful discussions and her invaluable insights, sug- gestions and friendship over the years. The better ideas in this book almost certainly owe their existence to her. To David Parker (University of Northampton) and Professor Eryl Davies (Bangor University) – the designated examiners of my Doctoral thesis, I should like to extend a warm thanks for their constructive comments and encouragement to publish. I am also extremely indebted to Thomas Fischer for cheerfully digging into the Jung archives on my behalf. Thank you Thomas. And finally to Richard, my thanks and apologies in equal measure are due. I am not the easiest person to live with and I really do not know how you put up with me. However, you are a perfect nuisance to me. So fair’s fair. In this book I have made particular reference to the Collected Works of C.G. Jung and Soren Kierkegaard’s Journals and Papers (edited by H.V. Hong & E.H. Hong), reproduced by the kind permission of Princeton University Press and Indiana University Press. Extracts from Jung’s autobi- ography Memories, Dreams and Reflections have been reprinted by permis- sion of Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. (© 1963 (Jung)).