Welcome back, folks! This week I start the discussion off with some odds and ends, elaborating on a couple points from prior episodes to segue into this one, the philosophy and psychology of God. I also briefly mention the latest Alexisonfire album-- the first one since 2009. It's fantastic and if heavy stoner rock that bleeds slightly into hardcore and blues sounds up your alley, then I highly recommend it.
As for the main topic, the "image of God" was a phrase that psychoanalyst Carl Jung coined, and it was meant to signify the human psychological components-- the symbols, feelings, and concepts-- that the idea of God gave humanity. Potential metaphysical realities and dogmas set aside, what has the image of God done for humanity throughout history on tangible, scientific levels? We cannot measure the metaphysical qualities of something like the monotheistic All-God of so many religions, but we can certainly measure the human engagement, participation, and consequences of wrestling with this all pervasive and even evasive image.
Regardless of our beliefs, the compulsion to the consider with the image of God is deep-seated and something that seems to have nestled itself in the recesses of our psyches since the beginning of it all. But what is it? Is it purely psychological or could it be something more? And what about the mythological embodiments of this All-God throughout history? What about Yahweh in particular, the one most of us are so familiar with on one level or another? Is Yahweh really perfect, omnipotent, and all-loving? Or is he flawed and perhaps evil like the Gnostics claim? Perhaps somewhere in between? All this and more on Black Hoodie Alchemy.
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