Erikson's “inner space”: Where art and religion converge

Abstract

This essay explores ways in which Erik H. Erikson's interests in art and religion converge in his psychology of religion. By associating Erikson'sYoung Man Luther with portraiture and his essays on "womanhood and the inner space" with still life, the author employs artistic genres to resituate the interpretation of Erikson's key texts on religion. By way of Erikson's image of the "inner space," connections are drawn betweenYoung Man Luther and his essays on womanhood. His late essay on Jesus is also linked to the earlier "inner space" essays, demonstrating that a central feature of Erikson's psychology of religion is its reformulation of traditional psychoanalytic theory of ritual.