Lecture Series on Psychology & Christianity II: The Freudian Critique of Religion: Is the Dialogue between Christianity and Psychoanalysis Possible?

Speaker

Professor Kwan Kai Man is Professor, Department of Religion & Philosophy, Hong Kong Baptist University. He received his D. Phil. from the University of Oxford. He is also the Director of the MA in Ethics & Public Affairs and Centre for Sino-Christian Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University. His current research interests include religious experience, philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, science-religion dialogue, epistemology, political philosophy and social ethics. His publications include The Rainbow of Experiences, Critical Trust, and God: A Defense of Holistic Empiricism (New York: Continuum, 2011) and many other Chinese books such as I Believe, Therefore I Think; God, the Secular Society & the Foundation of Morality in addition to many articles in academic journals and books.

Respondent

Dr. Jeff Hsu, Spiritual Director & Psychoanalyst in private practice at Soul Weaver

 

Abstract： 

Sigmund Freud regards religious belief, Christian belief in particular, as a kind of illusion, namely, wishful thinking & projection of our inner desires such as the need for protection by a Heavenly Father (see his The Future of an Illusion). Many Freudians takes this view as a critique of religion, which shows that religious belief is probably false & religious believers are psychologically immature. In this lecture, Prof. Kwan will consider two kinds of response to this Freudian critique. First, analytic philosophers tend to treat this as an argument to be rebutted, e.g., by pointing out that this kind of psychological critique has committed the genetic fallacy. Second, some philosophers & theologians (e.g., Paul Ricoeur) think that the Freudian critique can help us rethink & reinterpret religious faith in a constructive way. Prof. Kwan will argue that both kinds of response are needed. While the Freudian critique may not be a logically cogent argument against the Christian belief, it may open up a dialogue between religion & psychoanalysis: by integrating the insights about human nature from psychoanalysis (Freud & others like Jung or Viktor Frankl), Christianity can construct a more convincing anthropology as well as purify the practice of faith. Review Online 

預告（詳情稍後公佈，敬請留意）：

基督教與心理學講座系列（第三講）
主題：聖經中的理性思維——聖經查考 (The Biblical View on Rational thinking: A Bible Study)
日期：2022年3月19日（星期六）
時間：10:00-12:30
地點：香港浸會大學+zoom
語言：廣東話
講員：梁國權先生（建道神學院聖經研究部講師）、陳天祥博士（香港中文大學心理學系退休教授）
 
基督教與心理學講座系列（第四講）
主題：如何將靈性融入心理治療?  (How to Integrate Spirituality into Psychotherapy?)
日期：2022年5月28日（星期六）
時間：10:00-12:30
地點：zoom
語言：英語及廣東話
講員：Rev. Dr. Siang-Yang Tan （英語）
回應1：陳國平牧師（廣東話）
回應2：陳天祥博士（廣東話） 
 

Enquiry:

Telephone: 3411 5371

Email: cscs@hkbu.edu.hk