The Gnostic Jung and the Seven Sermons to the Dead (Quest Books) Paperback – January 1, 1982

After Carl Jung broke with Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis because of a difficult personalr and intellectual dispute over specific tenets of the new discipline, it is known that Jung fell into a long period of depression and introspection. Separating proved to be much more complicated than either of the men first envisaged. Jung was heralded to be the "Crown prince" of the fledgling movement, but disagreements with the master over core doctrines proved to be far too radical for Jung to attempt to create reconciliation. After this break they never uttered a word to each other again. During this time Jung fell into a period of self-analysis that he has written about in his autobiography, 'Memories, Dreams and Reflection'. It was also during this time that he wrote a curious text that he titled ' The Seven Sermons of the Dead". He reports that strange phenomenon in his house began before the writing: loud retorts from invisible sources; a series of disturbing dreams experienced by Jung and his children. At one point he said the house seemed to fill with an invisible presence, a crowd. It was at this stage that he was compelled to write, ordered, in a sense, to scribe what is now known as this text. The esoteric, magical and ultimately Gnostic overtone of the work is without question. Curiously, Jung was not the 'author' of the text, but the ancient Alexandrian Gnostic heretic, Basilides. The work begins: VII Sermones ad Mortuos'Seven exhortations to the dead, written by Basilides in Alexandria, the city where East and West meet.'In chapter three we are given the seven sermons in their entirety. The remaining chapters are devoted to interpreting and analysing the contents, sermon by sermon.One does not necessarily need to have a strong acquaintance with Gnosticism in order to fully appreciate this book. Hoeller clearly provides the reader with enough background information on the subject in order to follow his well-written exegesis on the sermons themselves. Hoeller's arguments centre on the indisputable connection between the sermons and Jung's depth psychology with Gnosticism. The 'sermons' are clearly Gnostic and expound, symbolically, on the spirit and its relationship with the Divine.Stephen Hoeller is an excellent writer and his passion and knowledge of philosophy and comparative religion shines forth from every page. He believes Jung to be the modern Gnostic, bringing the once and future Gnosis with us again. This is an important book as it guides us to look within ourselves to possibly discover what we all are consciously or unconsciously searching for.

I have been on a 10 year quest to discover a new God. With the old one of childhood fleeting, a new one could be comforting. In fact many of my friends are there because of our common history. Jung presents the Gnostic God as a psychologically useful spirit that allows all our past history to fit into the new concept. Many of the early Christians were Gnostics, many were Hebrew with gnostic familiarity. Paul was certainly Gnostic, and with 75% of the New Testament Paul's; 3 new levels of interpretation now make the Bible exciting. I feel a great comfort from Jung's insights. This is not an easy book to understand, but Hoeller does a great job in interpretation for us common men. There is deep insight into our need for gods or archetypes of a collection of properties we need to refer to frequently. And, he points out nicely how the Christian God is not the universal God of all, because our christian teachers would cut half his essence away, they would take away all evil and make him only the God of good. Nice try, but he's only half a god the way I was taught as a young person.

I love esoterica and I have admired Jung's work for many a year, but having just learned of this one, I am absolutely aglow. Knowing Jung's work on The Shadow, it makes everything much more appreciable to learn of Jung's history with the likes of Gnosticism and Alchemy... Magical things as opposed to dead and dry philosophical concepts, oversaturated with silly logic. This book tells a tale that is dynamic, juicy and entirely live-able. Hoeller did a fine job with this one and will be a good companion if you are in to deeper wisdom, existential insights and especially the Black Arts. Well done... I find that there is too much here to savor; I read it only a few pages at a time and weeks may pass between reading. - In short - I don't want to finish it.

A truly profound an amazing work for those seeking true gnosis. Especially in these times, this book speaks to the truth of our existence that lurks within the collective unconscious within us all. Awaken the gnosis, awaken yourself.

I came across this title while doing some research into Gnostic Gospels. I was not at all expecting on finding a gem such as this. I am happy to have been directed back to Jung after my first introduction years ago that just sampled a tiny bit. I enjoyed him then, he really blew my hair back this time.The Seven Sermons take up a very small portion of this book. The greater part is made up of the introduction and commentaries. All 3 sections are quite strong. Hoeller does a fantastic job at bringing in a myriad of influences and distilling them for consumption. Very well researched and well written.This will no doubt be one of the favorites on the bookshelf to return to time and time again.I cam upon on it right at the perfect time. Hopefully your encounter will be similar. I wish you luck on your journey.

This book has opened many doorways for me. Truly a revelation. As someone totally ignorant of Gnosticism and of Jung for that matter, this book has been very enlightening. The author has a way with words, and the book is obviously well researched. I recommend to anyone looking for deeper spiritual meaning.

This book is so good I am going to have to read it twice so as not to miss it's deep meanings. This book is hard to describe - it is one that must be read and experienced. Read it with an open heart and an open mind and realize that there is so much more to life than the material. Let yourself go from any preconceptions to seek wisdom in your own personal path and you will find this book fascinating in your quest.

Hoeller does not thoroughly explain the sermons and I wonder if that is even possible. He does; however, offer great insight into Gnosticism as it relates to Jung. Overall, a worthwhile read to better understand both Jung and the Gnostics.

Excellent book, opened my eyes more fully into Gnostic belief. The author helps to communicate and decipher the Jungian text. Would recommend highly if you’re curious about Gnosticism and Jung’s connection with it.

if you have an interest in Jung and also in Gnostic mystery then this is ideal

Obviously couldn't read in one sitting nor would anyone want to. But for anyone who has found Jung's theories interesting, this is fascinating.

this book cintains much more than jungs sermons and more than a critique of them. there is a wealth of discussion concerning gnosis that is helpful to the inquisitive

No complaints, and thank you.