Table 5-1. Jesus as the Anti-Oedipus: A Summary of the Ways in Which the Life of Jesus is the Negation of the Life of Freud’s Oedipal Man
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| Oedipal Man: The old man(from Freud) |
Jesus: The new man(from Gospels) |
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| 1. |
The son hates the father. |
1. |
The Son loves the Father. |
| 2. |
The son shows radical disobedience to the father. |
2. |
The Son shows radical obedience to the Father. |
| 3. |
The son wants sexual possession of the mother (or all women of the group) |
3. |
The Son renounces sexual possession of all women. |
| 4. |
Radical disobedience results in death of the father, in fantasy or supposedly in fact in the ancient past. |
4. |
Radical obedience results in death of the Son |
| 5. |
Death of the father is caused by the son or by a band of brothers (sons) who hate the father. |
5. |
Death of the Son is caused by a band of brothers who hate the Son. |
| 6. |
Death of the father is followed by failed resurrection in the form of a created father-totem, by emotions of guilt and remorse, and by permanent separation and estrangement of father and son. |
6. |
Death of the Son is followed by resurrection of the Son, by the emotions of joy and happiness, and by the complete reunion and identity of Father and Son. |
| 7. |
Death of the father leads to the son’s identification with the father, now incorporated as superego, or to the band of brothers’ identification with the father-totem. |
7. |
Resurrection leads to the sons’ identification with the Son, who is the center of morality and of ideals (a new Superego); the new band of brothers identifies with the “totem” Son. |
| 8. |
The old sons identify with the father in a totemic meal in which the father is eaten |
8. |
The new sons (or band of Christians) identify with the Son in a “totemic” meal in which the Son is eaten. |
| 9. |
The new band, feeling guilt partly from their sexual motives, renounces the women and creates the rule of outmarriage (exogamy). Thus, the women take the name of some other group’s father. |
9. |
The new band of sons and daughters takes the name of the Son (Christians); the women are not excluded from the “tribe,” but take the same name. |
| 10. |
In short: Hatred and disobedience leading to death of the father bring original sin. |
10. |
In
short: Love and obedience leading to death of the Son bring redemption. |