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Rating: 
Summary: A readable intro into the "archetypal masculine."
Review: A useful addition to your "men's issues" bookshelf. Especially good for readers not familiar with the new movement to affirm the sacredness of masculinity. -- Craig Chalquist, M.S., creator of the Thineownself self-exploration site.
Rating:
Summary: A readable intro into the "archetypal masculine."
Review: A useful addition to your "men's issues" bookshelf. Especially good for readers not familiar with the new movement to affirm the sacredness of masculinity. -- Craig Chalquist, M.S., creator of the Thineownself self-exploration site.
Rating: 
Summary: A difficult book for me to review...
Review: For starters, I feel a little embarrassed to be writing a review for this book because, as the author notes, people are very uneasy discussing the correlation between sexuality and spirituality. And it is that correlation upon which this book is founded. The author says that he believes that for men, "phallos" is something of an existential God-image. "Men know something they do not speak about directly," Eugene Monick writes. The author says that a man's encounter with phallos is an "encounter with the soul" because no man has to "learn" phallos; phallos presents itself to a man. One of the most interesting things about this book is that the author distinguishes between "patriarchy" and "masculinity." In other words, a man can be very masculine and still not be a part of the patriarchy. A man can be a part of the patriarchy, but still not be very masculine. In fact, the author indicates that often one must submit one's sense of masculinity in order to be admitted into a patriarchy. The author also argues that there is a deep need within men to participate in a "fraternity" with men and to have their maleness recognized by other men, but that our society often does not take this into account. What usually results is that these needs become frustrated and manifest themselves in things like "hazing" rituals. The author notes that it is puzzling that we live in such a male-dominated society, and yet very little work has been done to understand the archetypal basis of masculinity. The author suggests that this may be due to the assumption of male superiority; one should not question that which is deemed to be right and superior. If we question masculinity, and the ideas and concepts it's founded upon, then we may find something lacking and we may realize that perhaps, just perhaps, men are not superior to women, and we may also realize that heterosexual men are not superior to homosexual men. The author further describes the way masculinity is inherently linked to ideas of dominance, explaining why a conquered people may be viewed by the conqueror as emasculated. (A humorous part of this book is when the author sheds some light on the way patriarchal assumptions of superiority, very much founded on the importance of phallos, have made their way into popular speech: the author refers to the time his friend invited him to go have a "stiff drink." And I think it's telling that in college I learned that psychology is often considered a "soft" science.) I was very pleased to find this book because I had found it odd for some time that there is great consciousness raising in regard to the spirituality inherent in being female, but little in the way of the spirituality of being male. On a deeper level, as a student of A COURSE IN MIRACLES, I am experiencing that the body itself it not ultimately real, but that a great deal of shame and pain can be caused by the belief that our ultimate identity is that of the body; indeed, the male body - especially its main symbol, phallos - has been much maligned over the last few decades. It is very painful to not only believe that one's ultimate reality is that of the body, but that one's body is also very shameful (which is what I was taught in the church I attended). A COURSE IN MIRACLES says that this world is a classroom in which we learn the lessons of forgiveness, and PHALLOS: SACRED IMAGE OF THE MASCULINE has helped me forgive all painful ideas I had been taught about my body. I corresponded with the author for a time, and I found him to be very helpful in my understanding of his work. The quest to have society acknowledge the spiritual dimensions of being male will be difficult for years to come, but with PHALLOS: SACRED IMAGE OF THE MASCULINE Eugene Monick has helped lay the groundwork.
Rating:
Summary: Follies Phallic
Review: It was a bit tough ploughing through this book ten or so years ago as it seems a little ponderous and self conscious but I'm glad I did. In retrospect I can't think of another book that raised my consciousness quite the way this one did. As a female victim of childhood molestation, I have tried to understand sexuality from the male perspective and it was helpful to read a frank but intelligent and spiritual book by a man about men without intercession and without courtship to the feminine in the audience. I often recommend this book to women who are genuinely interested in a better understanding of men and not just interested in getting them to put the toilet seat down. If you're one of these more enlightened sister types, give the book a try. It's one of a kind in my experience. I also appreciate the Jungian approach to all matters in life and this book is part of a series of books, most of which I have read with interest and appreciation.
Rating:
Summary: an uncommon view lucidly expressed
Review: This is a great book for one's 'men's issues' or Jungian bookshelf. Of particular interest to me was the author's elucidation of the archetypal unconscious having 'phallos' qualities intrinsically. Both Freud and Jung articulated the feminine quality of the unconscious, with heroic ego differentiation representing a masculine step (initially)away from it. Yet, metaphorically, why would the unconscious be exclusively feminine? Why would the heroic ideal be exclusively masculine? As our culture's gender roles become more flexible Monick's interpretations will become increasingly useful to analysts and other therapists. This book also contains great photos of depictions of the phallos in art.
Rating:
Summary: an uncommon view lucidly expressed
Review: This is a great book for one's 'men's issues' or Jungian bookshelf. Of particular interest to me was the author's elucidation of the archetypal unconscious having 'phallos' qualities intrinsically. Both Freud and Jung articulated the feminine quality of the unconscious, with heroic ego differentiation representing a masculine step (initially)away from it. Yet, metaphorically, why would the unconscious be exclusively feminine? Why would the heroic ideal be exclusively masculine? As our culture's gender roles become more flexible Monick's interpretations will become increasingly useful to analysts and other therapists. This book also contains great photos of depictions of the phallos in art.
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