William Parsons – författare

It is well known that in formulating his general theoretical framework and views on religion Freud drew on multiple disciplines within the natural and social sciences, as well as from the humanities. This edited collection adds to the continued multidisciplinary interest in Freud by focusing on his understanding and interpretation of and relationship to religion. It 'disciplines' Freud by situating his work on religion from the methodological interests and theoretical advances found in diverse disciplinary contexts. Scholars within the field of religious studies, Jewish Studies, philosophy, and the natural sciences bring together their diverse voices to heighten the academic understanding of Freud on religion. The contributors aim to establish closer and more direct interdisciplinary communication and collaboration with regard to Freudian Studies. This volume should appeal to a wide range of scholars, for upper level undergraduate and graduate classes and those training in psychoanalysis.

William Parsons (1800-67), third Earl of Rosse, was responsible for building in 1845 the largest telescope of his time, nicknamed the 'Leviathan'. It enabled the Earl to make unprecedented astronomical discoveries, including the discovery of the spiral nature of galaxies. Rosse (then Lord Oxmantown) began publishing scientific papers on telescopes in 1828, and for the rest of his life made regular contributions to scientific journals in Ireland, England and Scotland. He served as President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1843, and of the Royal Society from 1848 to 1854, and his addresses to those societies are also included in this collection. Edited by his younger son, the engineer Sir Charles Parsons (1854-1931) and published in 1926, these papers show the wide range of the Earl's interests, from astronomy and telescopes to ancient bronze artefacts and the use of iron in shipbuilding.

This Element consists of three interrelated parts. 'What Freud Said' summarizes the salient details of Freud's psychology of religion: his views on the origins and development of western religions; on contemporary western monotheisms; on the 'unpsychological' proceedings of the religio-cultural super-ego; his qualified endorsement of religious forms of psychotherapy; and his cursory analysis of eastern religions.'What Freud got Wrong' surveys the history of the multidisciplinary critiques (anthropological, sociological, later psychoanalytic, theological/philosophical) that have been levelled at his interpretative strategies. 'Towards a Revised Psychoanalytic Theory of Religion' suggests that the best way forward is to employ a psychoanalytic theory of religion which, taking its cue from the history of its critique, houses reflective, inclusive and dialogical elements. It presents illustrations taken from a variety of contemporary religio-cultural phenomena (marvel movies; issues concerning religion, sexuality and gender; the Megachurch; QAnon) as portable lessons for such applications.