One of the most fascinating aspects of Eugen Drewermann’s theological work is his analysis of Biblical texts from the perspective of Depth Psychology. He is not the only one who has taken up this enterprise, but in my view he is the most successful. He does not limit himself to identifying symbols in the text, but brings back to life what he calls the “religious meaning” of the biblical text.
One of his lifelong polemics is, in fact, with the historical-critical method and the scholars promoting it. On the surface, this could be taken as a reactionary move. In reality, Drewermann does not contest the usefulness of the historical-critical method. Knowing when a book was written, what its historical context was, its aim, and so on, is helpful. But — in his view and quite true in his context — such limited relevance has been taken to mean all the meaning of the text itself.
For Drewermann, the Bible as a whole should be seen as an attempt to transmit a message of hope and liberation from existential anxiety (Angst). This means that also the opposite message is contained in the Bible, but the point is indeed that of discerning the internal tensions and understanding the kernel of the communication. While people in the distant past were able to think symbolically, people today can be helped by Jungian thought, i.e., Depth Psychology, to recover such an inner biblical message.
In his masterful introduction to his book on the Gospel of Mark, Drewermann talks about the second story of the creation of the world (Genesis 2-3) as a description of the tragedy of the human condition. All the worries that evil creates in us are nourished by our nostalgic desire for the good. Evil would not make us suffer so much unless we did not have a memory and a deep knowledge of the fact that our life is called to be what it truly is.
But the origin of evil does not reside in disobedience to God — as a long-standing but wrong interpretation of the biblical myth of Eden maintains. On the contrary, in the story of Genesis, Eve tries to remember God’s commandments in the most precise way — she quotes word by word what God has actually said to the Human. Yet she is able to repeat God’s orders only with a growing feeling of anxiety. Under the influence of anxiety (Angst), those divine words which were meant to free and protect people become the alienating orders of a tyrant… the divine suggestions become harsh moral precepts.
The bottom line is that an individual, despite her best intentions, cannot live if the springs of her life are polluted by the mortal venom of anguish (Angst). It is Angst which transforms God’s words into commandments.
Angst pushes people into an apparently irremediable internal conflict. But then it becomes impossible for people to answer God’s question “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) truthfully, as they fear to be pushed down into the pit of nothingness if they answer sincerely.
The well-known dialogue between Adam and Eve, in which blame is tossed around irresponsibly, is a perfect representation of the human condition outside of Eden. A fractured condition in which people are alienated from everybody and from the cosmos. The next step is necessarily then the story of the killing of Abel by his brother Cain. If we live in the field of Angst, Cain’s feelings are simply a necessity, writes Drewermann. Cain tries to dominate his bad feelings, but he is overwhelmed by them. This means that good will in the moral sense does not eliminate the problem, but radicalizes it.
In Drewermann’s daring but fruitful interpretation, the Gospel of Mark is a kind of response to the old Genesis myth. It is composed of a series of scenes in which the interplay between anxiety and trust is continually replayed and seen from different angles. The purpose of this Gospel is that of showing to its readers many possibilities of liberation from the ugly choke of anxiety, the possibility of a full and joyous life in harmony with God and all other creatures.
All the characters of this Gospel are plagued by contradictions, by inner anguish and inner fracture. Their encounters with Jesus do not teach them a new moral code; instead, the whole edifice of their life crumbles. Drewermann continues, talking about Jesus: When somebody shows up who is free enough from fear that he can be totally authentic, we must recognize our inauthenticity. Then we are given the chance to start to break away from the dominion of anxiety.
It is a long process, different for each individual, in which, however, courage and faith/trust are the constant companions for everybody. Courage means doing what nobody expects us to be able to do, not even ourselves, in breaking with norms and habits, and taking risks. Faith is the opposite of what churchgoers usually mean. It has little to do with believing certain doctrines or certain authorities, and it has all to do with trusting the Life that we feel alive in us.
“Your faith has healed you” is the ultimate declaration by Jesus that the power of Angst is not the ultimate reality. Eden on earth is.
Most of Drewermann’s essential works are not translated in English. The main point of reference for studying him is Matthias Beier, A Violent God-Image: An Introduction to the Work of Eugen Drewermann (Continuum: 2004).
Banner Image: Hidden depths revealed: iceberg in the Arctic with its underside exposed. Photo by AWeith on Wikimedia Commons.
Queries for Contemplation
What do you make of Drewermann’s general interpretative thrust? Does it ring a bell? What aspects of it seem to you consonant with Creation Spirituality?
Related Readings by Matthew Fox
The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved
Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality
Charles Burack, ed., Matthew Fox: Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society
Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth
Wrestling with the Prophets: Essays on Creation Spirituality and Everyday Life
Natural Grace: Dialogues on creation, darkness, and the soul in spirituality and science
The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance
The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human
A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice
The Beloved Will Guide You: St. John of the Cross and the Triple Dark Night of Our Times (available for pre-order)
