ABSTRACT
The feminist critique of Freud's abandonment of the seduction theory has important lessons for psychoanalytic theories of religion. Regardless of gender, few authorities have failed to note that the abandonment of the seduction theory placed psychoanalysis upon a firm psychological footing. Ignoring historical authenticity in favour of internal psychodynamics is widely seen as the essential step for the emergence of the uniquely human science of psychoanalysis. The cultural importance of psychoanalysis can hardly be underestimated despite a well-documented "diminishing psychoanalytic realm". Part of this diminishing realm is the extent to which classical Freudian theory claims to unmask myths held sacred within a culture. Freud insisted that every myth must contain at least some aspect of a historical truth. To assume that sexual abuse is rare contributes to the likelihood that when claims of abuse are common, many must be false.
