Date of Award

Fall 12-1-2004

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Communication Disorders and Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology

First Advisor

J. Laurence Passmore

Second Advisor

I. Michael Shuff

Third Advisor

John E. Carter

Abstract

This study examines the work of James Hillman-world-renowned psychologist, post-Jungian theorist and founder of archetypal psychology-with specific attention to the iterative illustrations of his central theoretical construct, the soul. An analytic rather than religious term, the soul's approximate definition, meaning, use, and significance as a therapeutic concept are considered across Hillman's 45-year career. To date, no published study has examined Hillman's work with this focus. Published roughly a decade apart, four seminal Hillman texts are analyzed using an interpretative methodology termed conservative hermeneutics. Despite widespread consensus that Hillman' s ideas and literary style are iconoclastic, ephemeral and shape shifting, the study reveals that illustrations of the soul are remarkably cohesive and internally consistent when viewed from existential and ecological perspectives. Implications of Hillman' s illustrations of the soul are addressed and applications for using the concept in psychotherapy practice are presented through an illustrative case study.

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