A few words about the history of the field are in order. In the final decades of the nineteenth
century and the early decades of the twentieth century, the field of psychology emerged within
the confluence of two academic disciplines: the biological sciences and philosophy.
Wilhelm Wundt (1832–1920) in Germany and William James (1842–1910) (James1902/
1986) in the United States were the two major founders of modern psychology. These
extraordinarily gifted, brilliant men, both educated in medicine, embodied a wide knowledge
of a number of fields: biology, physiology, philosophy, history, religion, and literature.
Religion played a major role in their extensive publications. Wundt and James set the stage
for many of the diverse schools of thought that have formed the psychology of religion.
In the first half of the twentieth century, Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) emerged as one of
the most influential figures in the history of the psychology of religion. For many complex,
historical, and cultural reasons, Freud’s method of psychoanalysis—as a theory and as a
therapeutic practice—had a major impact on the United States, the United Kingdom, some
parts of Europe, and Latin America (especially Argentina). Freud created a compelling
criticism of religion. Nevertheless, his theory of religion recognized the enormous power of
religious wishes, fears, rituals, and primal human needs. Freud and his followers continue
to have an impact on the psychology of religion and to provide the orienting ideas and
methods that compete with the scientific, empirical psychology of religion.
The psychoanalytic approach to religion has expanded to include new developments in
psychoanalytic interpretations of religion such as object relations theory, Erik Erikson’s
(1902–1994) cultural and life cycle approach, and Self Psychology to explore new
dimensions of religious and spiritual experiences.
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