As darkness descended upon Europe, C.G. Jung traveled to the United States in 1937 to give the annual Terry Lectures at Yale University.  The three lectures were published the following year and are known today as Psychology and Religion (CW 11, pars. 1-168). Although written nearly ninety years ago, Jung’s insights, wisdom, and vision are perhaps all the more relevant and important today. 

Over four sessions, we’ll take a deep dive into this invaluable text. We’ll explore the centrality of religious experience in Jung’s understanding of the psyche and discuss what Jung means by “the numinous” (numinosum). We’ll discuss Jung’s critique and affirmation of religious communities (specifically Catholic and Protestant), and we’ll give special attention to his warning against the dangers of religiously rooted authoritarianism and extremism. Although there are undoubtedly toxic expressions of religion, a healthy religious experience can support, enhance, and guide the individuation process. 

Kenneth Kovacs, Ph.D., is a Jungian psychoanalyst who recently completed his training at the C.G. Jung Institute in Zürich, Switzerland, and a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Kenneth studied at Rutgers University, Yale Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, and received a Doctor of Philosophy in practical theology (psychology and theology) from the University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland (UK).  He is the author of Encounter and Conviction: The Relational Theology of James E. Loder (Peter Lang, 2009) and Out of Depths: Sermons and Essay (Parson’s Porch, 2016).  Kenneth practices in Baltimore, MD.