Freud's Ghost and the Quest for an Authentic Faith: Table of Contents

Dear Reader,

Welcome to my online book Freud’s Ghost and the Quest for an Authentic Faith . This book is an extended reflection upon Christian faith, death, and existentialism. The structure of the book is built around a response to Freud who claimed that religious faith was “wishful thinking,” an existential drug to numb the pain of truthful living. Thus, the drug metaphor is used to structure the parts of the book: Drug, Intoxication, Withdrawal, and Clean. The main thesis of the book is that Freud’s critique must be taken very seriously by Christians because there is ample empirical evidence to suggest that religious faith is indeed by motivated by existential defensiveness. The faith-as-drug diagnosis describes many, if not most, Christian believers. Thus, an authentic faith must fully confront our existential defenses to find a route toward an honest and courageous belief. In many ways this book is autobiographical, moving through my spiritual and professional confrontation with Freud’s Ghost.

If you do make it through all of Freud’s Ghost, please let me know if you found it helpful. I have written the book to reach out to fellow seekers, many of them my students, who are in need of a fresh reformulation of faith in a modern, post-modern, and post-Christian context. Finally, I would also be happy to forward you any of the published articles of mine that I cite in the book.

Wishing you the best,
Richard


Freud's Ghost and the Quest for an Authentic Faith
Table of Contents

Prelude: The Haunted Ones

Part 1: Drug
Where Freud's Ghost makes his case.

Chapter 1: An Existential Turn
Chapter 2: The Denial of Death
Chapter 3: Terror and Worldview Defense

Part 2: Intoxication
Symptoms of existential defensiveness in contemporary Christianity.

Chapter 4: Body
Chapter 5: Resurrection
Chapter 6: Evil

Part 3: Withdrawal
Groping toward an authentic faith.

Chapter 7: The Sick Soul
Chapter 8: The Faith of the Snow Man
Chapter 9: Winter Christianity

Part 4: Clean
Reappraising salvation.

Chapter 10: Saved
Chapter 11: Heaven

Appendices on Related Topics
Appendix 1: Toward a Theology of Profanity
Appendix 2: Feeling Queasy about the Incarnation