Psychoanalysis and Religion

Another great book by a great mind. Although, this volume is not his masterpiece work, it is definitely worth reading. Fromm taps into the core issues of religion, and addresses the schizm that exists within the bureaucracy of organized religion. One side is pulling toward a patriarchal, authoritarian, fear and guilt orientation, while the other is geared toward self-realization, as well as the promotion of human ideals. He does not agree with Freud on many issues, and he warns about the limits of psychoanalysis as a tool in the search for man's higher spiritual self. Although psychoanalysis is not trendy any longer, it remains the core and the glue that holds the subjective field of psychology together.