Should Christians Watch Sigmund Freud Movie 'A Dangerous Method'?
Sigmund Freud is a name that has become imbedded into popular culture. Although he was neither an entertainer nor a celebrity of any sort, he has become part of the English language through various expressions and branches of study in psychology. It is no surprise Hollywood has finally taken advantage to create a movie about Freud and his fellow scientist, Carl Jung.
Born in 1856 and dying in 1939, this Austrian neurologist is credited as the founder of psychoanalysis. To put succinctly, this study suggests that human behaviors and reasoning are driven by irrational, innate, and often unconscious desires.
Today, Freudian terminology has been engraved in almost every aspect of psychology. His concepts are largely received as facts as opposed to theories he developed. The notion of an id, superego, and ego are considered as real entities in many psychological evaluations.
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Needless to say, Freud has had an immense impact in the way humans interpret the science of the mind.
What could be wrong about Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis? One thing is, Freud was openly opposed to Christianity and religion in general. He once wrote in his book “The Future of an Illusion” that religion is "the universal obsessional neurosis of humanity." He also went on to suggest that religion is “wishful illusions.”
We can conclude that Freud never consulted God in his quest to unlock the human mind. The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 17:19: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Who can begin to figure out the mind of God’s creations without acknowledging the Creator?
Freud succeeded in casting many doubts about Christianity and the role of religion in human society.
The film, “A Dangerous Method,” in theatres November 23, features Viggo Mortensen as Freud, Michael Fassbender as Jung, and Kiera Knightley as a young woman who caused conflict between the friends.
The director, David Cronenberg is known for his strange and graphic films concerning the human body.
“I consider myself an existentialist and an atheist, and I think that body is what we are,” Cronenberg told The Daily Beast. “That’s not diminishing it to me, it’s just accepting the reality of it. So, if the human body is the first fact of human existence, then immediately you see why I focus on the body.”
Therefore, “A Dangerous Method” is necessarily about Freud and psychoanalysis; it does feature subject matters regarding the body and the mind that are not exactly edifying.
Jung and Freud experience a strain in their relationship because of their opinions on the role of religion in their work. The character of Jung falls into a psychosexual relationship with Knightley’s character, which puts further tensions on his friendship with Freud. Sexual tones carry throughout the film.
Perhaps, “A Dangerous Method” is not the most enlightening movie to positively stimulate the mind of a Christian. However, some may enjoy learning about Jung and Freud to know more about their perspective on psychology. Hopefully, Christians can remain as those who are do not fall into worldly ideology, but remain fixed on the Word of God.
