50 Years On Introduction

In this talk, first given to the C.G.Jung Analytical Psychology Club (London) in 1997 and reproduced here by kind permission of the club, David Holt, basing himself upon the work of R.G. Collingwood and others, argues that while science (pure and applied) and economics are essentially christian (David spells it with a small ‘c’), christianity has failed to understand its own success. He begins by placing this ‘autobiographical’ talk on ‘the madness of the world which we are making’ in the context of the 75th anniversary of the Analytical Psychology Club and the Tavistock Lectures, including the attendance there of Samuel Becket: ‘time’ is one theme of this talk. The talk develops from David’s earlier paper On Riddley Walker and Greenham Common: Further thoughts on Alchemy, Christianity and the Work against Nature (1983). In it, he recounts his 1948 dream and the Clermont Story, which is based upon it, and links his work and thinking about these with traditional thinking about the virgin birth, crucifixion, resurrection, the trinity and especially the ‘Holy Ghost’ (as the spirit was known when David was a child). Before the talk, there is a short introduction by Jim Fitzgerald.

For further information on Russell Hoban’s Riddley Walker (1982) go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riddley_Walker