A Case for Soul in the Desert Fathers According to Hillman’s Interpretation of Psyche in his Work A Blue Fire

Abstract

A Case for Soul in the Desert Fathers According to Hillman’s Interpretation of Psyche in his Work A Blue Fire Nathan Garcia (bio) The psychologist James Hillman saw himself as a fierce advocate for the soul. His prolific career advanced the understanding that psychotherapy return to its mytho-poetic roots. Concomitant to these efforts was an unmitigated and even hostile critique of religion. According to Hillman, organized religion is either unconcerned or inimically set against the psyche’s expression of its soulful elements. This anti-religious sentiment is supported by various aspects of Hillman’s thought. However, Hillman did not fully appreciate the versatility of religion or its abilities to be soulful.1 Specifically, the Christian faith has historically expressed itself in a variety of ways which intersect with Hillman’s expressions of psyche, or soul. I argue that the lifestyle and teachings of the ancient desert fathers demonstrate a clear precedent of soulful expression from the Christian tradition that is aligned with Hillman’s own thinking. I will evaluate four elements of Hillman’s philosophy of psyche and demonstrate why each aspect is critical of religious appropriation. Subsequently, I will describe central features of the life and philosophy of the ancient desert fathers to attest that they indeed reached into the inner workings of the soul, according to Hillman’s philosophy. The work set out in this paper draws its importance based on Hillman’s school of psychology, known as archetypal psychology. Hillman’s school represents a burgeoning spiritual philosophy that is intellectually at odds with religion and the Christian faith. If it can be established that principles of Hillman’s school significantly overlap with an important part of the history of the Christian church than perhaps it can facilitate a communication between both traditions. I believe Christian spirituality would be substantialy emboldened by the potency and depth offered by Hillman’s thought. His work could bring to the theological discussion a richness of concepts otherwise absent. The concepts, such as archetypes, personality, depression, and the imaginal open new vistas for a Christian and archetypal conversation in the field of Christian spirituality to acknowledge the spiritual wealth in Hillman’s thought and begin to seriously examine Hillman’s numerous insights for living a contemporary life of soul. [End Page 149] A PREFACE FOR SPECIFICATIONS This paper will draw from the philosophy of James Hillman. Though philosophy may be a misnomer for Hillman’s thought,2 it is the best description given his treatment on comprehensive topics and his reexamination of intellectual assumptions. His philosophy, especially as it relates to his ideas of psyche, is best adumbrated in his work A Blue Fire.3 This work attempts to bring into focus connections between Hillman’s commentary on a variety of issues. In fact, it is outlined in such a way that is conducive to a philosophical program, namely, it begins with his most fundamental ideas and proceeds to build upon them a larger, cohesive body of thought composed of increasingly specific subjects. Hence, to have a good understanding of Hillman’s philosophy I will draw primarily from this work. Secondly, Hillman tends to treat organized religion with broad brush-strokes. He will frequently move back and forth between a critique of “spiritual disciplines” and specific arguments against Christian dogma. For the purposes of this paper, I will respond to his religious critiques by drawing from the Christian tradition exclusively. Hillman himself does this in practice as well. He almost exclusively levels his arguments against Christianity and derides its influence in the field of psychology. Thirdly, I will be discussing the desert fathers in the Christian tradition. This movement is an ancient, centuries-long movement located primarily in Egypt. It is important to note that much of the material I utilize will reference the great literary work to come out of this movement, the Apophthegmata Patrum. Translated as Sayings of the Fathers (hereafter referred to simply as Sayings), this collection gives a detailed and insightful look into the life and practices of the desert fathers. This movement represents an important historical age for Christianity and demonstrates a uniquely lived interpretation of Christianity. Moreover, I will also refer to the...