Oscar Pfister. Christianity and fear (№ 431008)

The origins of fear in Freud coincide with the "scientific thesis" in 1 John. However, the diametrical difference is that the author of the message speaks of love in a spiritual sense, and Freud in its elementary, sexual meaning (libido). But is the chasm insurmountable? We do not want to narrow it down, but it is worth considering the following: it is indisputable that even the highest spiritual experiences do not pass in the mental life without bodily sensations, although they do not have to be sexual. Some psychologists, the same William James and Karl Lange, even went so far as to mistakenly believe that feelings are just the result of innervation of muscles and blood vessels ... higher intellectual functions. On the other hand, Freud, studying sex drive, over time expanded the concept of sexuality, admitting into it the Platonic idea of Eros and the German word "Liebe" - love. This terminology has led to endless confusion. But Freud emphasized more than once: by "sexuality" he means everything that includes the word "love" - and if you remember this, the objection that his theory is pansexual loses its validity. This view is supported by other arguments. And I do not know of a single psychologist who can argue against John, who brings fear out of love. Only in the Bible is fear perceived more spiritually and therefore not as widely as in modern psychology.