Faith of the Fatherless

In this updated edition, Professor Vitz explores the interplay between psychoanalysis and atheism, beginning with Freud’s “projection theory” and presenting the “defective father hypothesis” as a significant explanation for intense atheism. Through a biographical analysis of prominent atheists over the past four centuries, he argues that negative experiences with paternal figures often correlate with the rejection of God. Vitz also compares male and female atheists and considers various psychological factors influencing atheism while maintaining that the choice to believe or not ultimately lies with the individual.