“Making the Holy Obscene”: A Thematic Analysis of Freudian Psychoanalysis in the Catholic Press

Abstract

This study completed a thematic analysis of the U.S. Catholic newspapers in the Catholic News Archive to assess the characterization of psychoanalysis in the Catholic press. References to psychoanalysis in the Catholic press peaked in the 1960s and diminished starting in the 1970s, parallel to its rising popularity and later disappearance from the larger public landscape. The qualitative themes identified Catholic concerns about the presence of pansexuality (referring to the theory that sexuality is the sole explanation of all psychopathologies) and determinism in psychoanalytic theory and the overlapping territory between confession and psychoanalysis, but overall a clear desire for reconciliation between two anthropologies. The identified themes demonstrate the differences in how Catholicism and psychoanalysis conceptualize psychological suffering and the effective interventions to reduce the suffering. Contemporary psychoanalysts and Catholic theologians are encouraged to continue the historical collaborations to use each of their strengths to address the urgent needs of the Church and society.