Fundamentalism and the Quest for the Grail: The Parzival Myth as a Postmodern Redemption Story
2009; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 52; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/00332920903304838
ISSN1556-3030
Autores Tópico(s)Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
ResumoWhat is it in the human psyche that lends itself to violent terrorist temptations? My position is that there is a fundamentalist core in all of us and that liberation is a mutual process. This article presents stories and experiences that shine light on this most critical issue of our time: fundamentalist radicalism and violence. One such story is Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival poem that dates to the era of the medieval Crusades. We will feel the difficulties we face when a deeply entrenched paradigm governing how we relate to ourselves and each other requires change. In the deepest sense this is the task we face with regard to the fundamentalist threat in the world today. Fundamentalist terrorism and warfare represent a total failure of the human spirit. Jung (1934) said, “The only chance for redemption is in consciousness.” Beyond this, von Eschenbach (1210) knew that liberation is a mutual process and struggle for humanization. Examples are discussed that show how living with the demand of mutuality can be the basis of a most powerful practice of being and problem solving on both the personal and societal levels.
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