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= Dark Religion: Fundamentalism from The Perspective of Jungian Psychology =

"Dark Religion: Fundamentalism from The Perspective of Jungian Psychology" is a book on religious fundamentalism and fanaticism written by Jungian analysts Vlado Šolc and George Didier. It was published in 2018 by Chiron Publications. ( ISBN 1630514004, 9781630514006)

Background
The book's concept originated from the rise of religious fundamentalism and fanaticism, including instances such as the Islamic doctrine of Wahhabism and the growth of the Christian evangelical right in America.

Religious fundamentalism is an increasing issue contributing to violence in different parts of the world. Fanaticism and fundamentalism in religion can lead to cultural clashes, religious wars, terrorism, and even genocide. Some individuals who exhibit religious fanaticism may fail to differentiate between their own will and God's will, believing they possess absolute knowledge of God's identity and intentions. This state is referred to as being 'possessed by the unconscious energies of the Self.' The book explores these issues drawing from C.G. Jung's depth of psychological insights.

The book aims to spread Jung's message, encouraging readers to explore the question of religion with the intention of better understanding it, rather than having iconoclastic intentions.

Summary
The book offers in-depth psychological analysis of religious fundamentalism and fanaticism, exploring the effects of individuals being influenced by the unconscious energies of the Self. It delves into the concept of the numinosum through individual and collective psychology.

The authors, Vlado Šolc and George Didier, draw upon Jungian literature and various fields such as social psychology, developmental psychology, sociology, philosophy, anthropology, mythology, poetry, and religious texts. They discuss different forms of religion, including radical, excessive, unadapted, and extreme, within the framework of Jungian psychology, grouping them under the term 'Dark Religion.'

The book examines the difference between 'religion' and 'creed', focusing on Rudolf Otto's concept of the numinous as an experience of the Self, a transcendent source in religion. It explores the impact of the numinosum on human psychology, connecting it to Edward F. Edinger's ego-Self axis and consciousness. Additionally, the authors explore the influence of creed, a scripted, codified, and institutionalised relationship to the numinosum, on religious worship. They also investigate the relevance of ritualistic and social structures from a psychological perspective.

The book further explores the impact of rituals on the creation of defensive structures that protect against numinous experiences rather than integrating them into the Jungian typology perspective. This aspect is highlighted as a missing element leading to the development of hubris, inflation, possession, mana personalities, one-sidedness, and other modes of inadequate psychological ego-adaptation. The authors base their research on works of Marie von Franz, Erich Neumann, Mario Jacobi, Jolande Jacoby, Lionel Corbett, Edward Edinger, Heinz Kohut, Donald Winnicott, Donald Kalsched, and others on ego-adaptation and ego development.

The book introduces the concept of 'strong creed,' which encompasses different appellations for the phenomenon of possession by archetypes, such as fanaticism, fundamentalism, radicalism, and sectarianism. These expressions indicate being stuck in the land of numen and share a common denominator - possession or inflation by the Self. The authors refer to this concept as 'Theocalypsis,' which arises from inflation of the Self and Imago Dei. The Imago Dei refers to specific religious ideology, describing supreme, transcendent beings like God or gods, present in the form of doctrine or individual philosophy and imagery. The consequences of Theocalypsis are further explained under the term 'theonemesis.'

The book establishes the concept of the numinosum as a significant factor in human conscious life, shedding light on its paradoxical nature that can lead to both psychological freedom and destruction.

Dark religion
In the book, the authors introduce the term 'Dark Religion,' encompassing all extreme religions categorized under fanaticism and radicalism.

Theocalypsis
Theocalypsis (pronounced theokalypsis) is a term describing the archetype process of religious inflation by the Self in the presence of Imago Dei. Imago Dei refers to specific religious ideology, such as supreme, transcendent beings like God or gods, present in the form of doctrine or individual philosophy and imagery. Theocalypsis involves individuals hiding behind God when possessed by the Self's archetypal energy, categorized into three basic categories: general, affect, and cognitive, each with eight sub-categories.

Theonemesis
Theonemesis is a Greek term describing the consequences of Theocalypsis, referring to an attempt to change the person by the Self when Theocalypsis fails to provide sufficient ego adaptation. It represents the psychic system's compensatory reaction resulting from the possession of the Self.

Reception
Dark Religion: Fundamentalism from the Perspective of Jungian Psychology was chosen as BookAuthority's Best New Psychology Books. An in-depth review of the book by Gerald A. Weiner was published in Psychological Perspectives, a quarterly journal of Jungian Thought (Volume 63, 2020 - Issue 2: Transforming Sulphur).

David J. Dalrymple, affiliate minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston, a pastoral psychotherapist, and Jungian psychoanalyst stated, “''This book is a scholarly investigation of religion which is thoughtful, readable, comprehensive and contemporary in its concerns. It may not appeal to the true believers locked in dogmatism, literalization and concrete thinking, incapable of appreciating a more symbolic and imaginal reading of their sacred scriptures. However, this is an important work for serious students of psychology, religion and spirituality. Dark religion should be a concern to all of us in our churches, temples, mosques and also our families, places of public discourse and political platforms''.”

Murray Stein, Ph.D., author of Outside, Inside and All Around stated, "A careful and thoughtful psychological reflection on one of the burning issues of our times--radical fundamentalism. Solc and Didier offer both trenchant analysis and potential solutions for this central dilemma of postmodernity."

The book was nominated for the 2019 International Association for Jungian Studies Book Awards.