Apophatic elements in the theory and practice of psychoanalysis: Pseudo-Dionysius and C.G. Jung

This book considers apophatic elements in the theory and practice of psychoanalysis through an examination of Pseudo-Dionysius and C.G. Jung. Pseudo-Dionysius brought together Greek and Biblical currents of negative theology and the via negativa. In this book Henderson discusses how the psychology of Jung can be read as a continuation and extension of the apophatic tradition and identifies neoplatonic themes throughout Jung’s work. Chapters consider: •Jung’s discussion of opposites, including his reception of Nicholas of Cusa’s concept of the coincidence of opposites •The role of the transcendent function in Jungian psychology •How motifs in Pseudo-Dionysius’ Ecclesiastical Hierarchy resonate with contemporary psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The in-depth examination of primary sources in this comprehensive volume provides a platform for research into apophasis in the wider field of psychoanalysis. It will prove valuable reading for scholars and analysts of Jungian psychology studying religion and mysticism