Nowadays an increasing number of theologians can be observed who tend to consider a theology of the cross to be an outdated issue which also applies to associated terms and ideas like law, forbiddance, sin, guilt, Christ and redemption. This converges with a widespread secular criticism of religion having left its traces in theology. Moreover those notions are connected with psychopathological phenomena and accused displaying a mental disorder, a sadomasochistic and necrophiliac inclination, terms stemming from a psychoanalytical setting. However, a closer look at psychodynamic psychology, dealing with religion, reveals more capacity to make sense of the above mentioned ideas, if one does not look at pathological forms but at the underlying anthropology. Referring to theories of Sigmund Freud, Ernest Becker, Jacques Lacan and Antoine Vergote this contribution aims at shining a light on a human bodily constitution driven by desires in order to gain satisfaction, by aggressive impulses and the unavoidable sense of guilt, trapped in a longing for inseparable union and confronted with a symbolic order that says 'no' and demands to restrain from acting out the desires. These concepts do not intend to make a theological statement, but may help theology to gain a more realistic view on its often too smooth idea of the human nature, on what Freud calls the plasticity of psychic life.

Enthalten in:
Glaube und Lernen; 2012/1 Theologie interdisziplinär und praktisch (2012)

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Serie / Reihe: Glaube und Lernen

Personen: Heine, Susanne

Schlagwörter: Religionskritik Religionspsychologie Theologia crucis