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Analysts with a particular interest in the complex interface between religious faith and the process of individuation would be naturally drawn to this paper, and its rich title which refers to ‘existential crises’, ‘vicissitudes of faith’ and ‘the emergence of the true self’ reads very promisingly. Two compelling clinical vignettes occupy the first half of the paper. First to the ‘stage’ is Father Davide, a 28-year-old Catholic priest who is referred to therapy following a psychotic episode which occurred on retreat where he ran naked into the church, talked to the crucifix, felt God pierce him with a dagger and had an orgasm, before an ambulance arrived and he was admitted to a psychiatric clinic. This is recounted to his ‘believing’ analyst (who is presumably also a Christian though this is not specified) during the ‘5 or 6’ (p. 994) sessions which take place after his hospital admission and prior to him being relocated to a different part of the diocese. The second vignette concerns Luca, a 38 -year-old Catholic and composer who experiences a crisis of faith during the process of ending with his agnostic analyst. Unlike Father Davide, this drama occurs within the analyst in the form of a powerful countertransference during