In this article, the Author reconstructs Erich Fromm’s interpretation of the development of the Christian doctrine. While drawing to some extent on the Freudian analysis of religion, Fromm does not insist on the comparison between devotional practices and obsessional neurosis, and sets forth a sociohistorical explanation of the changing of dogmas. In his view, major doctrinal shifts mainly depend on the social situation of groups: dogmas, particularly those regarding the relation between God the Father and God the Son, express sadistic and masochistic tendencies, which mirror the dynamics of dominant and subordinate groups in each historical conjuncture.