Archetype of the Apocalypse: A Jungian Study of the Book of Revelation

Rating:
Summary: lots about Jung, less about Revelation
Review: As the co-author of my own book on Revelation ("Unveiling Empire: Reading Revelation Then and Now" [Orbis 1999]), I am always interested in new approaches to this ancient text. While Dr. Edinger was obvious an expert in Jungian psychology, his skills as a biblical exegete are wanting. His interpretation relies almost exclusively on his impressionistic reaction to the text from a Jungian perspective, and the eclectic interpretation of Revelation from scholar JM Ford, whose work has been strongly critiqued by scholars.

If you are already a Jungian, you'll feel confirmed by this book. If you're looking for a reading of Revelation that respects both its historical and biblical contexts, look somewhere else.

Rating:
Summary: A lucid description of apocalyptic psychology.
Review: Once again Edinger turns his analyst's eye on a seminal topic--in this case, the apocalypse archetype--and provides useful interpretations and amplifications. The book's one drawback is the degree to which Edinger's rather fundamental Jungianism shows through...proving the book's thesis that it's easy to become possessed by this particular archetype. Recommended. -- Craig Chalquist, M.S., designer of the "To Thine Own Self" Web site.