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Readling List
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THEME
The seminar theme is Somatic Healing — that is, allowing Jesus to not only heal the body, but to heal through the body. There is some healing that can only happen through the body. These are places we can cooperate with Christ, that are too frequently downplayed in traditional Christian environments, yet affect all aspects of who we are.
Christ in Myth, the Body, and Authenticity
God frees us to be ourselves and to fully live our story. Myth serves as a guiding narrative, similar to a hero's journey, that helps individuals contextualize their life experiences. The body is presented not merely as a vessel but as an active agent that facilitates this journey, enabling individuals to embody and act out their personal myths. This process is essentially a journey from the "mask"—a protective, often toxic, false self—to one's authenticity. The discomfort and pain often experienced during this transition are seen as part of the process of shedding the mask and allowing the true self to emerge.
The "False Father" and the Shadow
Wherever we didn’t receive healthy fathering, we believe — in particular in the body, that God will not protect us in the world. The result is places where we incorporate a "false father," which refers to restrictive structures, often internalized from figures like one's literal father or societal norms, that hinder authentic self-expression. This "false father" is supresses hidden places within, often called the shadow—the unconscious, unacknowledged parts of oneself. When the shadow is denied and externalized, it can manifest as a toxic protection system, essentially becoming the "mask."
This idea is further elaborated through the work of M. Scott Peck, particularly his book People of the Lie, which is described as a seminal work on sickness and evil given permission to express due to shadow repression. Peck's perspective suggests that evil arises from a fundamental refusal to meet reality as it is, leading to self-deception and harmful actions towards others. This denial of authenticity, often cultivated through family patterns or church dynamics, creates conditions for sickness and evil and to take root.
Jungian Thought and Diverse Perspectives
Healing of the bodoy and less conscious child parts can be aided by a Jungian lens through which these concepts are explored. Figures like Richard Rohr, a key figure in the mythopoetic men's movement (along with Robert Bly, James Hillman, Michael Meade, and Robert Moore), and feminist Jungian writers like Tokopa Turner and Sharon Blackie, comparing and contrasting their views with the men's movement. The comparison explores areas of alignment (critique of patriarchy, deep ecology) and clash (e.g., differing approaches to external change versus internal feeling).
Beyond these movements, the conversation seeks to connect other seemingly disparate thinkers:
Joseph Campbell: A prominent figure in myth studies, whose work, though not strictly Jungian, is deeply influenced by it.
Marilynne Robinson: A novelist and theologian whose work, despite its focus on Protestant tradition, is seen to have significant Jungian and archetypal undertones, particularly concerning feminism and theology.
Kimberly Johnson: Linked to Jungian thought, especially through themes of death and the unconscious.
Ken Wilber: A philosopher whose work on the unconscious becoming conscious and humanity's cultural development resonates with the overall theme of maturation and awareness.
The aim is to demonstrate how diverse writers, despite their different fields, are ultimately exploring similar themes of personal transformation, the journey to authenticity, the integration of the unconscious, and the cross and ressurrection.
Monasticism, Somatics, and Creative Practice
A particularly insightful topic is the parallel drawn between monastic traditions and contemporary somatic practices. Monastic disciplines, with their emphasis on physical and ritualistic actions (like chant, breath, and daily rhythms) to dismantle the ego and connect to the spiritual, are seen as analogous to modern somatic healing work.
Specific examples of somatic work are given, with their monastic parallels:
Authentic Movement: Akin to individual monastic contemplation.
Contact Improvisation: Compared to communal liturgy or choral prayer.
Contemplative Movement: Similar to contemplative breath practices.
Somatic Experiencing: Parallel to confession and purification.
Dance Movement Therapy: Aligned with monastic ritual drama.
This connection underscores the idea that physical engagement can be a powerful pathway to spiritual and psychological transformative healing.
Similarly, art and craft-making are not hobbies but "thresholds" for personal growth and rebirth. The process of creation, especially when approached without a fixed outcome in mind, is seen as a ritual practice that facilitates the dismantling of the mask and mirrors the Jungian/alchemical phases of death, purification, and resurrection.
The overall intention is to synthesize these concepts into a practical framework for a seminar or retreat, where participants can actively engage in movement and craft to explore their own journey from mask to authenticity.
God loves the whole you.
