Recent years have seen a steadily increasing flow of books and papers re-examining the relationships and conflicts between spirituality, religion and psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis and Religion in the 21^st Century: Competitors or Collaborators? represents a fresh landmark in this process, not least because it is published under the auspices of the Institute of Psychoanalysis. What makes this book remarkable, and even more welcome, is the even-handed nature of the discussion and the wide variety of standpoints from which the 14 contributors approach their chosen topics; and whereas most collections of papers resemble the proverbial curate's egg - only ‘good in parts’ - this collection is packed with stimulating contributions. David Black, the editor, deserves warm congratulation.

In his Introduction, Black sets the tone for the discussion by exploring some of the paradoxes implicit in Freud's critical approach to religion.