Sacred Psychoanalysis - etheses Repository - University of ...

Symington recalls that he had had enough of fanaticism 246 and so opted for the Independent
training route rather than following Anna Freud or Melanie Klein (Symington 2007: xviii).
Symington’s interest in theology persisted and he discussed philosophy, theology,
psychology and psychoanalysis with friends and later with his analyst, Klauber. 247
Symington begins with Freud, interpreted by his understanding of religion, in primitive and
mature forms. Symington accepts Freud’s Future of an Illusion (Freud 1927) as a
sustainable analysis of primitive religion, but which has little to say concerning the mature
or natural forms of religion. Symington’s ontology looks to the future as a moral, evolving
universe where universal truths can be found in all religions and spirituality, which includes
psychoanalysis. What makes psychoanalysis more revolutionary is its ability to offer self-
knowledge ‘through an interpersonal encounter of great intimacy’ (Symington 1998: 153).
Symington also draws on object relations’ theory, as it is the form of psychoanalysis that
offers a moral dimension, which unites it in a common goal with mature religion.
Symington’s first published account of religion was a critical review of Kristeva’s In the
beginning was love (Kristeva 1987a; Symington 1991) where he argues Kristeva’s
theological naivety overwhelms the creative points she makes. In particular Symington
highlights that Kristeva’s attempt to understand Christianity through the Nicene Creed
crucially neglects ‘the living presence of Christ in the hearts of the believers which is at the
theologians). We must try to avoid dogmatism; and we should not, as analysts, endeavour to conceal or
suppress our human qualities’ (Gillespie 1982: 84f.). Klauber’s later reflections on religion have been
compared with that of Loewald, both reflecting on vital issues that they had not addressed earlier in their
analytic careers (Rangell 1983).
246 Allusion to his previous training as a Roman Catholic priest.
247 Symington recalls that understanding Aquinas’ whole Summa Theologica was easier than understanding
Freud, partly because there is an underlying principle in Aquinas whereas in Freud there are two contradictory
principles (Symington 2007: xx).
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