Last time, we looked at some of the ways our creation stories can help and hinder a Christian journey towards wholeness. The second of the two creation narratives in Genesis, of course, ends in the famous story Adam and Eve being cast out of Paradise after being tempted into eating the fruit of the Tree … Continue reading The Shadow and the Fall
On Friday we explored Jung’s claims that the Christian conception of God are insufficient to promote wholeness — that by pushing vast swaths of experience outside the divine, it instead promotes the division of the self into shadow and persona. In that post, I maintained that there are different ways of reading the Scriptures, that … Continue reading The Shadow and Creation
The lectionary this time of year can often feel a bit all over the place. This is because there are two calendars that overlay each other: the ‘normal’ seasonal calendar, in which we’re in the fourth Sunday after Epiphany, and the festal calendar based on the timing of events in Jesus’ life. And so while … Continue reading A Sword to the Soul: A Reflection on Luke 2.22-40
The first half of this series has attempted to show how traditional Christian practices have the power to act as shadow work, but also can, if we’re not careful, exacerbate the connected problems of a strong dark shadow and a bright but fragile persona. Today I’m going to turn the series to aspects of Christian … Continue reading The Shadow of God
It hasn’t been a good week for the ‘better angels’ of human nature. At pretty much every turn, it seems cruelty and unfeeling self-concern has become king. As a follower of Jesus, it’s a tough pill to swallow — especially when people who claim to also follow Jesus are either leading the war against mercy … Continue reading Vocation and the Way of Christ: A Reflection on Luke 4.14-21
Matthew Root 