Because our theories and our definitions promote the devel opment of each other, a new picture of the psychology of religion will. Psychology of religion and spirituality psyc 498 sec 002 lecture. Content pages of the encyclopedia of religion and social science. Introduction the state of theory in the psychology of religion and spirituality prs is a study in contrasts. As a student, i felt at times that the content was difficult to digest not because of the difficulty of the material, but more due to the nature of the writing. Psychology of religion provides an avenue of theoretical and methodologically empirical inquiry into the study of belief and experience. Psychology and religion is an authoritative survey of what we know about the psychology of religion.
Journal of the history of the behavioral sciences, 414, 347365. The past century has seen the relationship between psychology and religion progress from wary antagonists to strange bedfellows to complementary worldviews. This book integrates clinical, theoretical, and empirical literature, as well as biographical information of the lives of significant psychologists and their works. Psychology of religion, classic and contemporary views book. The psychology of religion is the study of religion from the human psychological point of view. His varieties of religious experience is considered to be. Includes both objective and subjective perspectives. Given the role of religion in history and society, a psychology of religion was inevitable. Classically defined, the psychology of religion consists of the systematic application of psychologys methods and interpretive frameworks to the broad domain of religion. But both these and other contemporary works in the psychology of religion struggled with a more difficult problem. Wulff and others published psychology of religion find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Those who study religion from the psychological perspective are interested in three primary areas that may be broadly characterized as past, present, and future. Psychology, religion, and spirituality provides readers with a critical overview of what psychology tells us about religion and spirituality.
Jungs psychology of religion and synchronicity 1990, currently in its 10th printing, is a refereed publication of the state university of new york press. Psychology of religion a commentary on the classic texts. Handbook of the psychology of religion and spirituality library. In its most basic sense, the field of the psychology of religion is composed of a variety of studies that have utilized a broad spectrum of theoretical frameworks to interpret the psychological meaning and patterns of collective and individual religious contents, ideation, and practice. Psychology of religion and spirituality psyc 498 sec 002. Paloutzian interpersonal psychologies for a religion of encounter and reconnection hendrika vande kemp the psychology of religion. Psychology of religion an overview sciencedirect topics. The perspective of sigmund freud in psychology of religion. The classic american work of the early period was william james varieties of religious experience. All journal articles featured in international journal for the psychology of religion vol 30 issue 2. Wulffs comprehensive framework presented next, encompassing both religious belief and disbelief, seemed particularly well suited as a. Introduction the state of theory in the psychology of.
The subjective perspective encompasses psychoanalytic approaches. Organized according to their fundamentally objective or subjective perspective, the most significant studies in german and french literature are discussed, as well as other important contributions from around the world. Religious psychology argues for the latter while psychology of religion assumes that processes in religion are not different from in other areas of investigation. As strictly a nonsectarian scholarly discipline, it should be carefully.
The international journal for the psychology of religion ku leuven. Chapter 16 the evolution of a psychologist of religion david m. An analysis of three different psychological approaches to the study of religion in the late 1880s, several notable psychologists such as sigmund freud, stanley hall, william james and carl jung began to apply systematic and scientific approaches to the study of religious phenomena. Still, turmoil pervades the latter field and its relationship to mainstream psychology.
Humanistic psychology and the immaculate heart of mary nuns. As usual i try my very best to set down what is empirically true in the light of what is now extensive evidence on this subject. Prior completion of 12 hours of psychology, including psyc 350 or an equivalent course in research methodology and psyc 288 psychology of social behavior. Wulff, 1991 would suggest that there is no consensus in the field about the definition of either religion or spirituality. Particularly, the individuals experience, both personal and social, is explored through a variety of methods. Robert aziz, synchronicity and the transformation of the ethical in jungian psychology in carl b. An unbiased, comprehensive introduction to the psychology of religion. The psychology of religion consists of the systematic study and interpretation of religion using the methods and theories of contemporary western psychology. Even a cursory reading of standard texts in the psychology of religion hood et al.
Psychology of religion consists of the application of psychological methods and interpretive. Ludskow, 2008, to make a distinction between religion and spirituality. Religion is most often understood to refer to individual experiences, attitudes, and conduct, but its referent is sometimes the diverse contentsimages, doctrines, myths, ritualsof. The extraordinary range of methods and frameworks can be helpfully summed up regarding the classic distinction between the naturalscientific and humanscientific. The international journal for the psychology of religion. Psychology, religion, and spirituality is designed as a text that reflects this history while illuminating the robust dialogue that continues to accompany it. Wulff on november 7, 1940, the day i was born, the new york times headlined the election of. This syllabus is for a psychology of religion class. The natural sciences and religion have generally been considered as natural and eternal opponents. Douglas hardy psychology of, and, for, in against religionspirituality. The author explains that literature of an objective nature considers behavioural and comparative animal psychology, the biological bases of religion, experimental approaches and correlational studies. Important contributions of a different character were made by freud, who developed a critique of. As if to demonstrate this, argyle himself had an interest in both areas, publishing his book the psychology of happiness in 1986, long before the term positive psychology was.
It is very clear and readable, and reflects michael argyles. William james, through his psychology, especially his. For example, two important 1990s textbooks on the psychology of religion did not define psychology batson, et al. The challenge for the psychology of religion is essentially threefold. The psychology of religion revisited symposium chair. Pdf psychology of religion lemming encyclopedia article.
An indiana quaker and a sequential product of indiana. The study of religion has prompted more questions than answers regarding various phenomena such as religious conversion, the nature of cults, understanding religious belief and behavior, and the socio cultural blending of mysticism, religion, and science. This study uses data from the faith matters studya panel survey of a representative sample of u. Starbucks 1899 scribners publication, psychology of religion, wherein the term psychology of religion was used for the first time, we will proceed with our commentary on each book and its relevance to the development of the field of study called the psychology of religion. Psychology of religion, classic and contemporary views. The psychology of religion was central to psychology at its inception as an independent empirical discipline. Learn psychology of religion with free interactive flashcards. This is a rather unusual book on the psychology of religion.
This syllabus is for a psychology of religion class directed. In the psychology of religion, james influence endures. Just as the early work was done by leaders who invested efforts in this topic wulff 1998, a new group of psychologists emerged whose concerns. Nov 08, 1990 an unbiased, comprehensive introduction to the psychology of religion. The last 200 years have thus witnessed the development of these disciplines. Classic and contemporary, 2nd edition, published by wiley. This field of study referred to as the psychology of religion burgeoned. Choose from 500 different sets of psychology of religion flashcards on quizlet. Pdf the evolution of a psychologist of religion david wulff. But i also take a sympathetic view of religioni have faith in both enterprises, psychology and religion, and believe that in the end they can be harmonised.
For the internationale gesellschaft fur religionspsychologie international association for the psychology of religion iapr, its xivth conference, held on september 2830, 2001, in soesterberg, the netherlands, was an important event. It is concise without being simplistic, and the first such broad overview to be published for some years. Maslow 1964 described the phenomenon of peak experiences. Wulff and others published psychology of religion find, read and cite all the research you need on.
Strictly speaking, psychology of religion consists of the application of psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to the diverse contents of religious traditions as well as to both religious and irreligious individuals. The reconstitution of the international association for the psychology of religion. The apparent neglect of religious experiences as topics of psychological inquiry. Psychology, religion, and spirituality by fraser watts. He served as president of the american psychological association, and wrote one of the first psychology textbooks. Durkheim 1912 2012 undertook a study of religious experience in aborigines, and found that such experiences were central to these communities. Psychology, religion, and spirituality is designed as a text that reflects this history while illuminating the. The author explains that literature of an objective nature considers. The most comprehensive work in the field, it examines aspects of all the worlds major religions, integrating the theoretical, empirical and clinical literature on the psychology of religion. What psychological factors gave rise to particular religious beliefs in. Apr 10, 2014 psychology of religion provides an avenue of theoretical and methodologically empirical inquiry into the study of belief and experience.
However, during this period there were writings by what might be called the grand theorists of religion freud 1927, jung 1938. Perhaps this was because the intended readers were psychologists, and needed no definition. This work integrates the theoretical, empirical and clinical literature on the psychology of religion. As strictly a nonsectarian scholarly discipline, it should be carefully distinguished from religious psychology, which is the psychology that in varying degrees is explicit in the texts and teachings of a religious tradition. Wulff, department of psychology, wheaton college, 26 e. Research in the psychology of religion is best understood within particular schools, which define both the area and the relevant methodological criteria for evaluation. May 03, 2012 international journal for the psychology of religion, 12, 7189. For a more balanced general coverage of psychology of religionnot just empirical studies, more theory and a lot of nonwestern materialssee david wulff s 1997 outstanding work, psychology of religion. Yet wulff also points out that the status of the study of religion within psychology is best described as precarious and that there remains a relatively small number of credible contributors to the. There will also be required readings posted on blackboard, including news articles. Religions, values, and peak experiences bahai studies.
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