Love and the Soul: Psychological Interpretations of the Eros and Psyche Myth

by James Gollnick

Overview

This book provides serious students of psychology, religion and mythology with a detailed account and analysis of what has been accomplished in the psychological interpretation of the Eros and Psyche myth to date.

The Eros and Psyche myth has, over the course of the twentieth century, received nearly as much attention from depth psychologists as has the Oedipus story. In their attempt to better understand this popular story, scholars have proposed various interpretations, which have generally followed either Freudian or Jungian theories about the nature of the psyche and its development.

Love and the Soul emphasizes how psychological theory determines the direction of interpretation much more than does the literary context of the myth itself. It also examines the strengths and weaknesses of these psychological interpretations (five Freudian and six Jungian) of the Eros and Psyche myth in order to lay the groundwork for an interpretation which (1) avoids the rigidity of both Freudian and Jungian dogma and (2) restores the myth to its rightful literary and religious context — something which has been ignored by most psychological interpretations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780889202122
Publisher:	Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Publication date:	05/20/1992
Series:	Editions SR , #15
Pages:	182
Sales rank:	655,131
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Dr. Gollnick taught at the University of Toronto for over twenty years and now teaches at St. Paul’s College at the University of Waterloo. He has a private practice in psychotherapy and has written previous books on Anselm of Canterbury and dream interpretation in the psychology of religion. His main areas of research are dream analysis and the psychology of religion.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents for
Love and the Soul: Psychological Interpretations of the Eros and Psyche Myth by James Gollnick

Introduction

1 Origins and Nature of the Eros and Psyche Story

Origins of the Story

Literary Genre

Allegorical Interpretations

The Literary Context of the Eros and Psyche Story

Notes

2 Psychological Approaches to the Eros and Psyche Myth: Freudian Interpretations

Interpreting Myths and Dreams

Franz Riklin

J. Schroeder

Jacques Barchilon

Bruno Bettelheim

Fritz Hoevels

Notes

3 Psychological Approaches to the Eros and Psyche Myth: Jungian Interpretations

Erich Neumann

Marie Louise von Franz

Ann Ulanov

James Hillman

Robert Johnson

Jean Houston

Notes

4 The Eros and Psyche Myth and the Psychology of Transformation

Primary Psychological Insights of Earlier Approaches

The Literary and Religious Context of the Metamorphoses

The Eros and Psyche Myth as Lucius' Dream

Conclusion

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

Gollnick has collated and made accessible a large number of interpretations of an important myth. This in itself is an invaluable service in respect to Freudian material which is out of print.... Second, this study opens the way to other comparative studies of psychodynamic interpretations of myth.... Finally, Gollnick’s comparative study of the Psyche and Eros myth demonstrates the value of the contemporary psychological study of myth.

From the Publisher

Gollnick examines the strengths and weaknesses of psychological interpretations of the Eros and Psyche myth in order to lay the groundwork for an interpretation which avoids the rigidity of both Freudian and Jungian dogma, and restores the myth to its rightful literary and religious context. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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