Freud on Religion

by Marsha Aileen Hewitt

Overview

Freud argued that religions originate in the unconscious needs, longings and fantasies of human minds. His work has served to highlight how any analysis of religion must explore mental life, both the cognitive and the unconscious. 'Freud on Religion' examines Freud's complex understanding of religious belief and practice. The book brings together contemporary psychoanalytic theory and case material from Freud's clinical practice to illustrate how the operations of the unconscious mind support various forms of religious belief, from mainstream to occult. 'Freud on Religion' offers a new way of understanding Freud's thinking and demonstrates how valuable psychoanalysis is for the study of religion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317545903
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/11/2014
Series:	Key Thinkers in the Study of Religion
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Marsha Aileen Hewitt is Professor of Social Ethics and Religion at Trinity College, University of Toronto and a psychoanalyst in private practice. Her books include From Theology to Social Theory: Juan Luis Segundo and the Theology of Liberation and Critical Theory of Religion: A Feminist Perspective.

Table of Contents

Preface 1. Introduction 2. 'The Mind is Its Own Place, and in Itself Can Make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven' 3. Crime, Punishment and the Return of the Repressed 4. Telepathy and the 'Occult' Unconscious 5. What's Love Got to Do With It?: New Psycho-mythologies Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

"Hewitt takes a genuinely inquiring approach to Freud’s view of religion…Demonstrating deep scholarly contemplation of the original texts, the author is guided by her knowledge of Freud’s theoretical intention in the psychoanalytic enterprise as a whole…[and] is daring and exciting in delving into Freud’s view of the occult, telepathy, and finally love itself. This work restores attention to the contribution of Freud’s thinking to the contemporary study of religion and is a must read for those interested in psychoanalysis, religion, and modern culture. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers." - R. H. Balsam, Yale University, in CHOICE

From the Publisher