Freud and the Problem of God
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Hans Küng; Translated by Edward Quinn
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In this highly acclaimed book, one of the most prominent theologians in the world offers a theological and psychoanalytic assessment of Freud’s atheism and of its implications for current psychoanalytic practice. In the original section of the book, now entitled “God—An Infantile Illusion?,” Hans Küng traces Freud’s views on religion and religious longing, compares Jung’s and Adler’s attitudes toward religion, shows that Freud’s arguments against the existence of God are theologically unsound, and concludes with a frank and provocative discussion of what psychoanalysis may be able to teach the Christian Church. In a new section, “Religion—The Final Taboo?,” Küng points out that religions still plays a negligible role in the practice of psychoanalysis, despite its increasing importance in the lives of most people. Has religion replaced sex, Küng asks, as an integral facet of human experience ignored or repressed by the very profession that seeks to enlighten?
Reviews of the first edition:
“This should stand as one of Dr. Küng’s finest works.”—Edmund Fuller, Wall Street Journal
“A balanced, thorough, and very readable discussion of Freud’s critique of religion… A model of the clarity, honesty, and fairness we can always expect to find in Küng’s writings.” –John F. Haught, America
“An honest, sympathetic pro-and-con assessment of specific elements of Freud’s critique by a well-known German Catholic theologian, easily accessible to the interested layperson and valuable for both theologians and psychologists.”—Library Journal
“Küng carefully, sympathetically investigates Freud’s interpretations of religion, both within his clinical theories and personal history.” –Lisa Mitchell, Los Angeles Times
Reviews of the first edition:
“This should stand as one of Dr. Küng’s finest works.”—Edmund Fuller, Wall Street Journal
“A balanced, thorough, and very readable discussion of Freud’s critique of religion… A model of the clarity, honesty, and fairness we can always expect to find in Küng’s writings.” –John F. Haught, America
“An honest, sympathetic pro-and-con assessment of specific elements of Freud’s critique by a well-known German Catholic theologian, easily accessible to the interested layperson and valuable for both theologians and psychologists.”—Library Journal
“Küng carefully, sympathetically investigates Freud’s interpretations of religion, both within his clinical theories and personal history.” –Lisa Mitchell, Los Angeles Times
"This is an honest, sympathetic pro-and-con assessment of specific elements of Freud's critique, by a well-known German Catholic theologian, easily accessible to the interested layperson, and valuable for both theologians and psychologists."—Library Journal
"This very helpful and positive book is a careful study of Freud's views of God, combined with a sensitive Christian rejection of his negative conclusions."—Christianity Today
"Sympathetic reflections on the life and work of a great atheist by a liberal Catholic theologian. . . . A balanced, sensitive reading of Freudian philosophy."—The Kirkus Reviews
"Freud and the Problem of God carefully, sympathetically investigates Freud's interpretations of religion, both within his clinical theories and personal history. Psychoanalysts should find Kung's cogent observations worthy of study and his ideas on the beneficial interrelation between psychotherapy and religion sensibly unpolemic. For theologians and laypersons alike, increased awareness of possible obsessive elements within individual religious approaches can only foster clearer, healthier religious experiences."—Lisa Mitchell, LA Times
"In four succinct chapters, the author gives a balanced, thorough and very readable discussion of Freud's critique of religion. . . . Freud and the Problem of God is a model of the clarity, honesty and fairness we can always expect to find in Küng's writings."—John F. Haught, America
"In 1927 Freud used the provocative phrase 'the future of an illusion' in his critique of religion, proposing the replacement of faith in God by faith in science. . . . Küng offers a critique with two edges, one for Freud's atheism and one for traditional theism. Reading this book was a surprisingly powerful experience for me. Its artistry seems to come through a blend of stimulating ideas, clarity of continuity, precise brevity, and intellectual honesty."—Robert A. Preston, The New Review of Books and Religion
ISBN: 9780300047233
Publication Date: September 10, 1990
Publication Date: September 10, 1990
126 pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/4
