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I'm a few pages away from finishing Deirdre Bair's amazing biography of C.G. Jung. I was absolutely fascinated all the way through. Jung was one of those incredible people who are somehow able to intuitively grasp truth. Perhaps this is one way to think about the people we call geniuses. It's really hard to understand, for example, how Einstein came up with his ideas about the universe. I mean, how does a person even get started thinking about relativity? Jung was like that, but what he saw was the mysterious human psyche.

I was saddened to find that Jung's insights did not lead him to a peaceful inner life, nor did they enable him to have good relationships. He was a terrible father and, according to the ways most people think about marriage, an equally terrible husband. The cult-like gathering of his disciples was rather frightening. He had a strange way of attracting rich women who pretty much gave their lives to furthering his philosophy/psychology.

Jung's activities during WWII were surprising. He secretly worked against Nazi Germany, but was branded a Nazi by many people for the rest of his life. Bair certainly doesn't take a romantic view of Carl Jung, so I trust her conclusion that Jung was innocent and misjudged in this matter.

I've read "Memories, Dreams, Reflections," which is said to be his autobiography. Reading that was an important step in my own development, so I was saddened to find that Bair's research casts serious doubt on its validity. The publication of MDR was an unbelievable circus with numerous people fighting over the rights to it. At the same time, it is very unclear what parts of the "autobiography" are from Jung and what parts came from his manipulative editors and Jung's children, who fought hard to "clean up" his language and create an image that fit their idea of polite society. So, if you read "Memories, Dreams, Reflections," do so with some healthy skepticism.

But the biography was a great read. Apparently Ms. Bair had greater access to Jung's heirs and materials than anyone before. If you have any interest in Jung, you really have to read this.

Click either image to purchase from Viva. They keep these in stock, of course. Support independent bookstores!

rlp

A memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor

Barbara Brown Taylor is a beautiful writer. She has clarity, simplicity, and depth. She is also a beautiful thinker. And that shows in her writing as well. That's why I own every book she's ever written.

My reading has suffered since I began writing seriously. I have less energy for reading, so I am careful with my choices. I’ve been avoiding church books these days in favor of serious literature that feeds the writer in me. But when I saw that Taylor’s memoir was out, I had to have it.

Behold, here is a Barbara Brown Taylor that is new to me. She is very vulnerable in this book, confessing her motives and insecurities and allowing us to walk with her as she tries to deal with them. Her struggles are the classic struggles of every pastor. She worries about her power and how she uses it;  she worries about what people think of her; and she worries about her church and its identity. Most of all, she wonders how to maintain her own growing faith in the middle of working to support the faith of others.

Some may wonder why a seasoned minister like Taylor still struggles with these things. But I am an insecure minister myself. And I know what it is like to write with some sophistication, but still worry about what people think about you. I feel a kinship with her in this regard.

Ministers can feel dehumanized at times. This happens in part because we court our righteous image and in part because the people in the pews want to see nothing but our image. Taylor describes a church party where people were pushing each other into a pool. No one would push the minister in, of course, so there she stood watching everyone else in the water. But then someone gave her a shove and she found herself in the water with all the rest of us. I found myself struggling with tears as I thought about my own life and how many times I have wished I could be “a regular person.”

Barbara Brown Taylor left church to find her faith. Not THE Church, of course, but the little church, the shaky and wobbling shadow of The Church that is every local congregation. She left the center of religion and moved to the wilderness, and there she found the presence of God had not left her after all.

I would say this to you. This is a book about leaving church. And if you never find a way to leave church, you might have a hard time finding God.

rlp

Note: Viva Books is offering this book at 30% off retail on their website. Click here for more info...

Some months ago I wrote an essay for Christian Century about my first experience viewing a facsimile of the Saint John’s Bible. I recently acquired my own copy of “The Gospels and Acts,” the first to be released of seven volumes that will comprise the entire Bible. When I opened it the first time, I spent about half an hour turning every page and gazing with wonder at the amazing illuminations. Even this facsimile is truly a work of art...

     --Click here to read the rest of this review.

Creation image from volume 1, The Pentateuch (not yet published)
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Used with permission from Liturgical Press