9781572301160

Presenting a comprehensive survey of the empirical literature available today, this volume emphasizes scientific work that is moving the psychology of religion into the mainstream of academic psychology. Structured as a text, the book's chapters each integrate findings according to the theory or theories that best illuminate them.

Ralph W. Hood Jr., Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. A past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association and a recipient of its William James Award, he is a former editor of the International Journal of the Psychology of Religion and the current editor of The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Bernard Spilka, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Denver, is past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association and a recipient of its William James Award. He formerly served as vice-president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and president of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association and the Colorado Psychological Association. Bruce Hunsberger, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Widely published, he is a recipient of the William James award for research of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association.Richard Gorsuch, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the Graduate School of Psychology of Fuller Theological Seminary, is a past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association, a recipient of its William James Award, and a former editor of The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

The Psychological Nature and Functions of Religion

1

(43)

Why the Psychological of Religion?

1

(1)

Basic Questions and Directions

2

(2)

Defining Religion: Is It Possible?

4

(4)

Being Religious: One Thing or Many?

8

(4)

Why Are People Religious?

12

(11)

An Integrating Framework for the Psychological of Religion

23

(3)

Attributional Approaches to the Psychology of Religion

26

(11)

Overview

37

(1)

Appendix: Statistical Procedures and Considerations

38

(6)

Religion in Childhood

44

(28)

Is Religion in Our Genes?

44

(2)

Theories of Religious Development

46

(9)

Related Empirical Research

55

(7)

A Different Approach: Attachment Theory

62

(1)

Is a Unified Approach Possible?

63

(1)

What's Missing?

64

(3)

Overview

67

(5)

Religious Socialization and Thought in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

72

(39)

Religious Socialization

72

(2)

Influences on Religiousness in Childhood and Adolescence

74

(13)

How Religious Are Adolescents and Young Adults?

87

(2)

Religious Thinking and Reasoning in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

89

(4)

Religious Doubts

93

(3)

Apostasy

96

(8)

Overview

104

(7)

Religion in Adult Life

111

(42)

Religious Belief and Behavior among Adults

112

(6)

Religion in Work, Professionals, and Occupations

118

(7)

Religion in Social Relationships

125

(2)

Religion in Love and Marriage

127

(13)

Religion in Other Areas of Adult Life: Politics as an Example

140

(5)

Overview

145

(8)

Religion and Death

153

(30)

Religion, Death, and Immortality

154

(6)

Religion, Death, Anxiety, and Death Perspectives

160

(4)

Religion, Death, and the Elderly

164

(2)

Religion and Euthanasia

166

(2)

Religion and Bereavement

168

(3)

Religion and Suicide

171

(1)

A Special Case: Religion, Death, Anxiety, and AIDS

172

(1)

Death and the Clergy

173

(3)

Death in the Religious-Social Context

176

(3)

Overview

179

(4)

Religious Experience

183

(41)

Conceptual Considerations in Defining Religious Experience

184

(7)

The Body in Religious Experience

191

(11)

Religious Imagery: The Return of the Ostracized

202

(12)

Psychedelic Drugs and Religious Experience

214

(6)

Overview

220

(4)

Mysticism

224

(49)

Conceptual Issues in the Study of Mysticism

225

(3)

Representative Classic Views of Mysticism

228

(4)

The Empirical Study of Mysticism

232

(33)

Overview

265

(8)

Conversion

273

(27)

The Classic Research Paradigm: Psychological Dominance

275

(7)

The Contemporary Research Paradigm: Sociological Dominance

282

(4)

Conversion Processes

286

(4)

Deconversion and Related Phenomena

290

(5)

Overview

295

(5)

The Social Psychology of Religious Organizations

300

(38)

The Classification of Religious Organizations

301

(1)

Church-Sect Theory

301

(7)

Organizational Dynamics

308

(7)

Cults

315

(6)

The Anti-Cult Movement

321

(9)

Social-Psychological Processes in Religious Participation

330

(2)

Overview

332

(6)

Religion and Morality

338

(39)

Does Religion Dictate Morality?

338

(2)

Moral Attitudes

340

(1)

Moral Behavior

340

(31)

Overview

371

(6)

Religion, Coping, and Adjustment

377

(29)

Theoretical Approaches to Coping and Religion

377

(6)

Religion and General Adjustment

383

(2)

Religion and Coping with Stress

385

(7)

Religion and Health

392

(1)

How Religion Works in Coping

393

(8)

Overview

401

(5)

Religion and Mental Disorder

406

(37)

Past and Present: Confusion in Values and Practices

406

(2)

Directions, Concerns, and Cautions

408

(2)

Religion as an Expression of Mental Disorder

410

(5)

Religion as a Socializing and Suppressing Agent

415

(4)

Religion as a Heaven

419

(4)

Religion as Therapy

423

(3)

Religion as a Hazard to Mental Health

426

(2)

Topics of Special Concern

428

(5)

Religion, Personality, and Mental Disorder: Issues and Concerns

433

(3)

Religion and Psychotherapy

436

(1)

Overview

436

(7)

Epilogue

443

(12)

Research in the Psychology of Religion

443

(3)

The Need for Theory in the Psychology of Religion

446

(9)

References

455

(67)

Index

522

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The Psychology of Religion, Second Edition An Empirical Approach

The Psychology of Religion, Second Edition An Empirical Approach

1572301163

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials