The Dogma of Christ and Other Essays on Religion, Psychology, and Culture: And Other Essay on Religion, Psychology, and Culture

Fromm writes very clearly. He develops an argument that early Christian interpretations of Christ rested on seeing Jesus as a man who through his suffering became equal to God. This hopeful view allowed the exploited peasant classes who were dominated by the Pharisees, the Roman occupation and the Herodians to have some hope for the future given the projected immanent triumphant return promised in the gospels and in the teaching of Paul. As time passed and persons outside of the Jews homeland became adherents, the views of Christ changed and Christ was seen as created at the same time as God and equal to God. Fromm interprets this change as a way of substituting for the emperor worship common at the time and yet supporting the state. Religion becomes more spiritual with emphasis on the guilt of the individual that can only be alleviated by the agents of the church. Christianity changes from a revolutionary movement to a movement supporting the political system by the time of Constantine. This view of Christianity should be compared to Rodney Stark's, THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY which offers a dramatically different interpretation of the same historical period.

Erich Fromm has written another chef-d'oeuvre ! He has demonstrated in his book "The Dogma Of Christ" his mastery in analyzing religion as it pertains to the human condition. Mr. Fromm's essays in "The Dogma of Christ" are thought provoking, spiritually transcending, and emotionally rejuvenating.....