Meister Eckhart and C.G. Jung: The Vocation of the Self

Many Christian readers today have been taught by Church theologians of various creeds that one must have faith in Christ above all else. However, Meister Eckhart and C.G. Jung have taught us to first have trust in ourselves, in our own inner images of God, or the Self. Eckhart, a man of the earth who came after Christ, believed that the birth of the Holy Spirit in humanity signifies the birth of the Self in Eckhart, Jung, and the reader. We are all after Christ and are therefore incarnating the Holy Spirit through our callings to individuate from the Imprinter, which is beyond the traditional God of theology.

One of the benefits of being a postmodern Jungian analyst, rather than a member of the Catholic Church as an institution, is the freedom and liberty granted to spiritually democratic people who can speak their own truths from conscience. Herrmann's book adds a new and significant element to the gendered language in theology: God is beyond gender. The book remains true to Eckhart's teachings about God and Sophia, or Wisdom, which were in essence about men and women, about all people. In postmodernity, God could be a she or an it.

In fact, for Eckhart and Jung, the origin of God is the feminine Godhead, or primal Ground of all metaphysical and empirical being. Both theologically and psychologically, the Self, or Holy Spirit, is essentially trans-dual, above all duality of male or female. The vocation of the Self includes the archetypal feminine, the soul or anima and animus, transcending all categories of thought and gender.

This shift in perspective is a welcome change from the traditional Christian teachings that have dominated for centuries. Eckhart and Jung's teachings encourage a more inclusive and democratic approach to spirituality, where individuals can connect with the divine in their own unique ways, without the constraints of rigid dogma.

The idea of a genderless, or even feminine, God is particularly significant in a world that has long been dominated by patriarchal religious structures. By embracing this more inclusive understanding of the divine, we can move towards a more balanced and harmonious relationship with the spiritual realm, one that reflects the diversity and complexity of the human experience.

Overall, Herrmann's book, with its thoughtful exploration of Eckhart and Jung's teachings, offers a refreshing and empowering perspective on Christian theology. It challenges the status quo and invites readers to engage with their own spiritual journey in a more authentic and meaningful way.

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