Psychoanalytic Journal Penser/rêver Attacks Christianity as a 'Disease'

The spring 2007 issue of the French psychoanalytic journal Penser/rêver (issue no. 11, published by Éditions de l'Olivier) launches a polemical attack on Christianity, framing it as a 'maladie chrétienne' (Christian disease). The editors explicitly align with Freud's critique of religion, arguing that his 1927 work 'The Future of an Illusion' has had negligible impact on civilization. They claim that Christian 'delusional ideas' persist and are indirectly responsible for 20th-century European crimes against humanity. The journal's project is to combat irrational Christian belief with reason and rational thought. Historian Alain Boureau expresses reservations about the 'disease' concept, but his concerns are dismissed. The editors deny that Christianity has produced any coherent, rational thought over 2,000 years, accusing it of anti-intellectualism and mysticism. They further assert that Christian 'unreason' has deadly consequences, including an alleged 'Christian death drive' and complicity with Nazism. Contributors include Jean-Michel Rey, Jeanne Favret-Saada, and Michel Gribinski. The article criticizes the journal for ignoring Christian self-reflection, citing Jacques Maritain's writings on the 'mystery of Israel' as a counterexample.