A welcome riposte to the anti-theological bias attributed to Lacan. Expertly written, this is essential reading for theologians and clinicians alike. - Marcus Pound, Durham University Lacan on Religion presents the thought of Jacques Lacan (1901-1981) to advanced undergraduate students of religion as well as graduate students. Lacans connection to Freud and the psychoanalytic movement in general is stressed as well as Lacans place in the intellectual life of France in the second half of the twentieth century. The books looks at some of his most important theoretical and practical contributions to psychoanalysis, especially emphasizing those aspects of his thought which undergird his view of religion. A close look at three texts of Lacan which deal specifically with religion follows, revealing a more detailed picture of the links (and ruptures) he saw between psychoanalysis and religion. Various voices critical of Lacan are examined and a short sketch of the hotly contested issues in the Paris of his day presented. Finally, the book will take stock of how the successors to Lacan have used his concepts to enrich the academic study of religions such as Hinduism, Zen Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity. |