At the heart of Drewermann's non-violent interpretation of key Christian beliefs is his analysis of a violent image of God that characterizes traditional interpretations of sin and the cross.

It is this God-image, opposed to human desires and self-realization, that sanctified the killings of millions of peoples in wars declared to be "just" and legitimated the violent exploitation of non-human nature and the aggressive economic exploitation of non-Christian cultures. The sheer enormity of Drewermann's principal books has thwarted publication of his works in English translation to date.

His empathic critique of the clerical mentality, ideology, and culture ("The Cleric"), based on his psychotherapeutic work with clergy, led to his being silenced by Roman Catholic authorities in 1991 and suspended from the priesthood in 1992.