Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Isaac versus Oedipus: an alternative view.

Kalman J Kaplan¹

¹Wayne State University, USA.

The Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis

|February 25, 2003

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

The Biblical Job Against Zeno the Stoic: Living Purposively Versus Dying for Meaning.

Journal of religion and health·2022

Same author

Eating and Drinking Narratives in Biblical-Rabbinic Versus Graeco-Roman Writings.

Journal of religion and health·2021

Same author

Social Status and Suicidal Activity Among Psychiatric Patients: Moderating Effects of Gender, Race and Psychiatric Diagnosis.

Archives of suicide research : official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research·2018

Same author

The Twenty-Year Trajectory of Suicidal Activity Among Post-Hospital Psychiatric Men and Women with Mood Disorders and Schizophrenia.

Archives of suicide research : official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research·2016

Same author

Are there gender-specific risk factors for suicidal activity among patients with schizophrenia and depression?

Suicide & life-threatening behavior·2012

Same author

Hopelessness, temperament, anger and interpersonal relationships in Holocaust (Shoah) survivors' grandchildren.

Journal of religion and health·2009

This study contrasts the Oedipus and Isaac legends, finding their differences reflect Athenian and Jerusalemic worldviews. It proposes the Akedah as a Biblical alternative to the Oedipus Complex, forming the basis for a unique psychology.

Area of Science:

Comparative Mythology
Psychology
Religious Studies

Background:

Max Sugar (2002) identified shared themes (filicide, patricide, guilt, punishment, expiation) in the Oedipus and Isaac legends.
Sugar noted Oedipus's tragic outcome versus Isaac's hopeful narrative.

Discussion:

This article posits that the divergence from tragedy to hopefulness is rooted in fundamental differences between the Oedipus and Isaac legends.
These differences are argued to mirror the contrasting life philosophies originating from Athens and Jerusalem.

Key Insights:

The Akedah (binding of Isaac) is presented as a Biblical counterpoint to the Oedipus Complex, not merely an extension.
This framework suggests the foundation for a distinct Biblical psychology and psychotherapy.

Related Experiment Videos

Outlook:

Further exploration into the Akedah's implications for psychological theory and therapeutic practices is warranted.
Investigating the broader impact of Athenian versus Jerusalemic worldviews on human psychology and narrative.