The Dogma of Christ and Other Essays

Erich Fromm decisively broke with Judaism at the age of 26; however, religion itself, its place and significance in the life of an individual and society, sparked his keen interest, the result of which were such important works as "Psychoanalysis and Religion," "Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis," "You Shall Be as Gods," and others. In "The Dogma of Christ," Fromm articulated and justified the idea that religious assumptions are conditioned by socio-historical circumstances and the psychological state inevitably arising from them in certain social groups. The collection is complemented by an unexpected essay on intrigues and quarrels in the close circle of Freud's students and followers, an essay on ethical issues in medicine, reflections on gender traits of character, and other works on pressing issues of modernity.