Christian Perspective of Integrating the Shadow: By Beverly Rhom
Abstract
Throughout the ages, Christianity has positioned itself on putting to death the flesh or as Carl Jung states is the archetype of the shadow. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the Christians need for integrating the shadow with oneself instead of ignoring it.
Christian Perspective of Integrating the Shadow
Since the beginning of Christianity, man has tried to put away the darker side of his personality. Jung argued that you could not ignore what is part of human nature without consequences. To do so would inevitable cause one to project the darker side of man’s human nature outwardly towards others. In addition, Jung believed that not only did the archetype he called the shadow have negative connotations it also had very positive ones such as “normal instincts, appropriate reactions, realistic insights, and creative impulses” (Bingaman, 2001, p. 169).
According to Bingaman (2001) “ Jung feared that Christianity’s aim was to keep the shadow side of human existence at arm’s length hopelessly relegated to the periphery of religious faith”(pg. 168). In so doing the shadow would only become more dense and man would only project his darkside onto others or blaming their actions on the devil for example “Salem Witch Trials. It is see down through history how man has projected his darkside as in the Nazi trying to irracicate the jews to purify the human race, or in modern day society the war on immigration.
Christians try to immitate the life of Jesus Christ and ignore the shadow side of existence or leave it in the hand of God to do away with. What happens then when time after time that shadow side of existance comes forth and is projected onto others? Bingaman states that we should intergrate the shadow part that is in us. In other words, to get to know the shadow side of ourselves and to accept it not to pretend that it is not there. It is only when we are consciencly aware of a darker side of our being can we come to terms with how we act or react to different people or things and if we have intamate knowledge of our inate being then we can integrate and become unified with in ourselves and migrate towards being a whole and complete person. Also if we acknowledge that we have a shadow side within our being then when that side comes to the forefront we have the choice as free moral agents to either act on it or take another action.
Bingaman states “where there is no energic tension, no clash of the opposites-good and evil, mind and body, spiritual and material-there is no creativity, no imagination, no life (pg. 178)”. Where there is no opposites there is no tention, where there is no tention one becomes stagnant like a pond that has no current. Stagnation produces death metaphorically speaking for the essence of life is gone.
The conclusion is that Christians have to change their way of how they think theologically about their shadow side. You can not do away with what you have been born with biologically with out consequences. To be a whole and complete person is to acknowledge, accept and embrace the opposing forces that dwell within ones being. If not humanity will still continue on in it’s destructive path.
References
Bingaman, K. A. (2001). Christianity and the Shadow Side of Human Experience. Pastoral Psychology , 49 (3), 167-179.
