C. G. Jung Society
of the Triangle
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Wynette Word Barton, Jungian Analyst
Lecture: The Gospel of Thomas: Depth Psychology Two Thousand Years Ago
Workshop: Secret Teachings on Consciousness
Lecture: Friday, January 27, 2006, 7:30 PM
When the Gospel of Thomas was discovered in Nag Hamadi, Egypt in 1945, there were predictions that it would revolutionize Christianity. The relatively short text of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus first seems very much like what we already know of this great teacher. A closer look reveals some puzzling paradoxes. Then, with careful study, a pattern emerges suggesting that Jesus was talking about no more – and no less, than the process of becoming conscious. It speaks of finding the “kingdom within” in a way that most of us weren’t taught in church school, challenging listeners to hear what they already know, but don’t know that they know. “Know what is before you,” he says, “And what is hidden will be revealed.” The Friday night lecture will focus on the fascinating origin of the text and the Gnostics who held it as a sacred writing and will give an overview of the sayings.
Workshop: Saturday, January 28, 2006, 10:00AM – 4:00 PM
Secret Teachings on Consciousness
In the Saturday workshop, we will go into the book’s “secret teachings,” one by one, to try to discover exactly what message it was delivering and what makes it so revolutionary. The sayings build on each other to present a lucid picture. The progression gradually leads readers to understand what “The Kingdom, ” “Death,” “Life” and “Light” meant to Thomas, who allegedly recorded these words of Jesus, and how to attain an ever-deepening consciousness of their meaning.
Wynette Word Barton has been a Zurich-trained Jungian Analyst in private practice in Austin,Texas for 20 years. She is a former teacher, has worked as a journalist, and lectures throughout North America on myth, religion and psychology. Her study of the Gospel of Thomas brings together long-time interests in ancient history, archeology and theology along with Jung’s concept of the conscious life.
CEU’S AVAILABLE (Must attend both lecture and workshop)
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