Readings of Winnicott III

As part of a larger project examining the significance of Donald W. Winnicott's contributions to research, teaching, and clinical care across psychology, religion, and theology, this article is written with this broad question in mind: What are Winnicott's writings about? It draws from a study carried out by this author that concludes that Winnicott's writings can be understood in terms of two "readings" (Ricoeur 1970)-expressing (a) a developmental-existential point of view and (b) a notion of being religious-of a network of six "theoretical ideas" (Stausberg 2009): early experience in infancy, transition, connecting and disconnecting, space, holding (and being held) and holding onto, and facilitating. The article outlines the contours of the second reading of the second and fourth sets of theoretical ideas-transition and space expressing being religious-and spells out some implications.