The Innateness of Myth: A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of C.G. Jung

by Ritske Rensma

Publisher:

Continuum

, 2011

Joseph Campbell (1904-1988) was one of the most well-known and popular scholars of myth and comparative religion of the twentieth century. His work, however, has never fully received the same amount of scholarly interest and critical reflection that some of his contemporaries have received.

In this book, based on extensive research in the Joseph Campbell Archive in Santa Barbara, Ritske Rensma shows that reflecting on C.G. Jung's influence on Campbell greatly furthers our understanding of these ideas, and that once this goal is achieved it becomes obvious that Campbell was a scholar whose ideas are still of significance today. Following Jung's lead, Campbell put great emphasis on the innate structures of the mind, an approach which pre-echoes the current 'evolutionary turn' in fields such as cognitive theory, psychology, psychiatry and neurobiology.

This study will therefore not just be of interest to students and scholars interested in psychological approaches to the study of religion as well as Jung and Campbell, but also to those with an interest in recent developments in the above-mentioned fields

Features

The Joseph Campbell Foundation runs an internet forum which is popular in the US.
The Pacifica Graduate Institute, California, owns and manages the Joseph Campbell Archive and runs a popular Mythological Studies course with a module dedicated to Campbell.
Unique explanation of how Campbell's ideas can be better understood by identifying the influence Jung's work had on him.
Jung Centres and Institutes aroud the world will be targeted.

Contents

Introduction

    Jung's influence on Campbell
    Overview
    Methodological reflection
    What this book aims to achieve

Part 1 - Jung

1 The development of Jung's ideas about the concept of the archetype

    Early developments

    "On the nature of the psyche"

    Synchronicity

2 The Ideas of Anthony Stevens

    Ideas expressed in the book "Archetype Revisited"

    Steven's take on Jung's ideas about religion

    Conclusion

 

Part 2 Campbell

3 Campbell's Life

    Boyhood and student years

    Development of core ideas

    Professional career

4 Phase One and Two of Campbell's Career

    Which books by Jung did Campbell own?

    Phase one (1944-1959)

    Phase two (1959-1968)

5 Phase Three of Campbell's Life

6 Conclusion

    The model of the three phases: a summary

    Overview and close analysis of my most important
    arguments

    Campbell as a 'post-Jungian'

    Reflections on the potential benefits of my findings

 

Appendix I

 

Bibliography

Praise for The Innateness of Myth

"Going beyond the conventional paralleling of Campbell with Jung, Ritske Rensma argues that Campbell's view of Jung went through three stages. At first, Campbell granted Jung and Freud equal importance in the understanding of myth. Next, Campbell rejected Jung's view on, especially, the origin of myth in favor of the ethological view espoused by Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen. Finally, Campbell came to see the overlap between Jung and the ethologists. An original, scholarly approach to Campbell, one that rests substantially on the scrutiny of unpublished material. Strongly recommended." - Robert A. Segal, Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen, UK

This is the ideal book for readers familiar with the work of both Jung and Campbell. It will also be of interest for those wanting to know more about the study of myth and how it has changed throughout history. I commend this book to each and every reader comprising both groups.

Product Details

• Title: The Innateness of Myth: A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of C.G. Jung
• Author: Ritske Rensma
• Publisher: Continuum
• Print Publication Date: 2011
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9781441126801, 9781441175670, 1441175679, 1441126805
• Resource ID: LLS:9781441126801
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-05-15T16:07:06Z

About the Author

Dr Ritske Rensma is currently teaching World Religions at the Roosevelt Academy in Middelburg, the Netherlands