This volume is an homage to the work of Erik H. Erikson. It is an outgrowth of a celebration of Erikson's work and life held in San Francisco on January 15, 1995, a year after the great analyst's death. It collects in one volume tributes to Erikson (including one from President Bill Clinton), four famous papers by this master of scientific writing, and articles by experts attempting to assay his multifaceted, often seminal contributions. No small, task, since these contributions include significant work in the fields of history, biography, sociology, philosophy, cultural studies, religion, human development, and of course psychoanalysis.

An essay by editor Robert Wallerstein, organizer of the San Francisco celebration, sets the stage. It touches on crucial periods of Erikson's life, from his interesting origins in Germany to his last home, on Cape Cod, and a late contribution, included here, in which he explored Jesus' teaching as they relate to a lifelong fascination with