The birth of the living God : a psychoanalytic study / Ana-Maria Rizzuto

Utilizing both clinical material based on the life histories of twenty patients and theoretical insights from the works of Freud, Erikson, Fairbairn, and Winnicott, Ana-Maria Rizzuto examines the origin, development, and use of our God images. Whereas Freud postulated that belief in God is based on a child's idea of his father, Rizzuto argues that the God representation draws from a variety of sources and is a major element in the fabric of one's view of self, others, and the world. Preface -- Part One: -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Freud -- 3. Beyond Freud -- 4. The Representations Of Objects And Human Psychic Functionings -- Part Two: -- 5. Introduction To The Clinical Research -- 6. A God Without Whiskers -- 7. A God In The Mirror -- 8. God, The Enigma -- 9. God, My Enemy Part Three -- 10. Conclusions -- Epilogue. Ana-maria Rizzuto. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 231-239. This is not a book on religion.