At the conclusion of Elaine Pagels’ lecture on the Book of Revelation, the first question someone asked her was why does religion persist? Pagels answered: “I think because this is about emotion. This isn’t conceptual. People who talk about it as if it matters whether you believe in God or not, have got [...]
Tags:attachment·Elaine Pagels·emotions·fear·Future of An Illusion·Revelation·Robert Fuller·separation anxiety·Sigmund Freud·Spirituality in the Flesh
Though not the first to note that emotions and religion are inextricably linked, Sigmund Freud forcefully argued that religious belief is grounded in emotional or affective dysfunction. The Future of an Illusion remains a classic work in this vein. Freud’s ideas, unfortunately, carry with them a normative (and non-empirical) taint which makes them less persuasive [...]
Tags:emotions·Robert Fuller·Sigmund Freud·Spirituality in the Flesh
