{"id":10652,"date":"2026-06-05T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652"},"modified":"2025-12-14T17:09:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T17:09:36","slug":"looking-at-eric-santners-book-2016-the-weight-of-all-flesh-part-21-of-28","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652","title":{"rendered":"Looking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

0430 Santner connects this neurotic circularity<\/em> with Freud\u2019s concept of the superego<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The constant pressure to live up to my own expectation of righteousness<\/em> produces a super me<\/em>, or better yet, a surplus me<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, maybe the term should be surplus ego<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or maybe, super ego<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0431 Is Freud\u2019s superego one of the paradoxes generated by the circular and foundational logic of Christianity?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

0432 To me, the term superego<\/em> goes with the person as an institution<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Freudian term ego<\/em> goes with personal objectsorganization<\/sup> and deeds<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0433 Recall, the intersection of thought and action<\/em> constitutes a single actuality: what is good and what is evil<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is precisely what the ego responds to.  The ego is responsible for good and evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ego trains the Self to love the good and despise the evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, the Self is not naturally attuned to good and evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Self is prone to temptations, fantasies and desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Self is like a horse.  The ego is like the rider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0434 The Freudian word \u201cid\u201d goes with the angelic possibility of righteousness (according to God)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, it also goes with the devilish possibilities of temptation, fantasy and desire<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0435 Idrighteous<\/sup> underlies the ego.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Idfantasy<\/sup> underlies the Self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does the circle go in two directions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If so, then righteous laws may inspire sin by naming what is to be fantasized about<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is that for a twist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humans are so impressionable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The horse can carry the rider wherever it wants to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0436 Consider this comparison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It1a<\/sub> directs.  It1a<\/sub> misdirects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0437 Santner quotes Agamben\u2019s recitation of a series of Christian paradoxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0438 Glory goes to God for eternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, no one can increase or decrease God\u2019s glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0439 All creatures owe God glory.  God demands it of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, God does not need glorification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0440 God does not need glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, God creates and redeems for His own glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0441 Surely, this list sounds like a sequence of paradoxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sense that these paradoxes describe a Christian complement to the society tier<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is how that might look:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

0442 Glory flows up the virtual nested form in the realm of actuality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Livingness flows down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0443 Take the first paradox listed by Santner.  Glory exists, but cannot be increased or decreased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Father is Creator<\/em>.  The Son is the Manner of Creation<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The glory of God does not increase or decrease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glory rises from below but does not build up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The contiguity between the Father and the Son turns it into something else: new life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, for the second paradox, why does God demand glory?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glory rises.  Livingness descends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God\u2019s demand for glory<\/em> is begotten by God\u2019s gift of life<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop glorifying God and God\u2019s mandate to live<\/em> withers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0444 Finally, the third paradox asks: Why does God create and redeem glory when God does not need glory?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look at the contiguity between the Father and the Son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is conception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0445 In English, one may conceive of ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liturgical doxology<\/em> ends up as God\u2019s conception of life<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Father\u2019s act of conception<\/em> ends up as a conceptual space in which my active soul animates my body<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that is not livingness<\/em>, I don\u2019t know what is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0446 The contiguity between my active soul and my body is animates<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My active soul animates my body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My body reminds me of my active soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That referral is conceptualized as a message actualized by the angels<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Existence induces adoration.  Adoration glorifies the Son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0447 Glory<\/em> encompasses the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit<\/em>.  The Father conceives the Son.  The Holy Spirit contextualizes the love between the Father and the Son<\/em>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

0448 Glory flows up.  Livingness flows down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a beautiful way to describe the cognitive space opened by this meaning underlying the Christian religion<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

0430 Santner connects this neurotic circularity with Freud\u2019s concept of the superego. The constant pressure to live up to my own expectation of righteousness produces a super me, or better yet, a surplus me. Or, maybe the term should be surplus ego. Or maybe, super ego. 0431 Is Freud\u2019s superego one of the paradoxes generated by the circular and foundational logic of Christianity? 0432 To […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[417],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-review"],"yoast_head":"\nLooking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28) - An Archaeology of the Fall<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Looking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28) - An Archaeology of the Fall\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"0430 Santner connects this neurotic circularity with Freud\u2019s concept of the superego. The constant pressure to live up to my own expectation of righteousness produces a super me, or better yet, a surplus me. Or, maybe the term should be surplus ego. Or maybe, super ego. 0431 Is Freud\u2019s superego one of the paradoxes generated by the circular and foundational logic of Christianity? 0432 To […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"An Archaeology of the Fall\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-05T20:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Slide53.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04\"},\"headline\":\"Looking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28)\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-05T20:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652\"},\"wordCount\":706,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Slide53.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Book Review\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652\",\"name\":\"Looking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28) - An Archaeology of the Fall\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Slide53.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-05T20:00:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Slide53.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Slide53.png\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=10652#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Looking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"An Archaeology of the Fall\",\"description\":\"A Horror Story by Razie Mah\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Looking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28) - An Archaeology of the Fall","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Looking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28) - An Archaeology of the Fall","og_description":"0430 Santner connects this neurotic circularity with Freud\u2019s concept of the superego. The constant pressure to live up to my own expectation of righteousness produces a super me, or better yet, a surplus me. Or, maybe the term should be surplus ego. Or maybe, super ego. 0431 Is Freud\u2019s superego one of the paradoxes generated by the circular and foundational logic of Christianity? 0432 To […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652","og_site_name":"An Archaeology of the Fall","article_published_time":"2026-06-05T20:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":450,"url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Slide53.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04"},"headline":"Looking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28)","datePublished":"2026-06-05T20:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652"},"wordCount":706,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Slide53.png","articleSection":["Book Review"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652","url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652","name":"Looking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28) - An Archaeology of the Fall","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Slide53.png","datePublished":"2026-06-05T20:00:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Slide53.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Slide53.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=10652#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Looking at Eric Santner\u2019s Book (2016)\u00a0The Weight of All Flesh\u00a0(Part 21 of 28)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/","name":"An Archaeology of the Fall","description":"A Horror Story by Razie Mah","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10652"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10652\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10655,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10652\/revisions\/10655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}