Psychology of religion(s) and religious studies: into the future (original) (raw)
Related papers
Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 2019
Bringing together perspectives is rarely an easy task. By assembling researchers from cognitive and cultural traditions to discuss their reciprocal research in the field of psychology of religion, we thought that we will end up with an ecumenical conclusion, everyone being convinced that the other perspective will enrich her or his approach in the future. In this introduction, our objective is to show that it was not exactly the case and, by writing a two-voices introduction, to understand why we were eventually not so sure that we were all studying the same object.
Religion revisited – anthropological and psychological standpoints
Estudios de Psicología, 2011
Religion was and is no topic in psychology; rather it was a topic of psychology in its very beginning. The contemporary academic psychology ignores religion. Instead of a wide range of studies in religion neither a psychology of religion nor a subject that is commonly shared can be found. In a first step I ask for that commonly shared subject and discuss a couple of candidates and their potentials in regard to their psychological and anthropological dimensions. In a second step I briefly review the three developmental models of religion under the same perspective: What is the subject they deal with and is this subject religion or not. Like I show, it is not. In sum, we have to start a new search to gain a subject for psychology that could be identified as religion. This needs in first place the courage to think systematically and theoretically independent from theology as well as psychology itself.
Defending psychology , respecting religion : The distinctiveness of the psychology of religion
2017
Some remarks about psychology of religion meant as a specific and autonomous domain are reported. The need of defining the object of investigation (religion) in a proper way and of defending the peculiarity of the approach (psychology) against the neurobiological and sociological reductionisms is stressed. The psychologist is interested not in religion itself, but in what occurs in human mind when religion is encountered within a culture (that is, religiosity). It is argued that religion is different from spirituality, search for meaning, mindfulness and so on since it is characterised by the subjective conviction to be in relation with the Transcendent. Such a conviction is expressed in beliefs, feelings, interpersonal relationships, rituals, normative behaviours. On one hand these aspects concern individual experience and, on the other hand, they are instantiated in a specific culture, with its own institutions, symbols and language, which develop in a given spatial-temporal conte...
Introductions to the psychology of religion: textbooks in review
Religion
The psychology of religion is generally acknowledged as a branch in the study of religion\s. This essay reviews current psychology of religion textbooks in English, German, Italian, and Swedish from a religious studies perspective (as distinct from a psychology perspective), in particular in terms of their fit with religious studies programs. It turns out that there are few books currently available that are suitable for adoption in religious studies courses.
Archive for the Psychology of Religion , 2020
The article concentrates on answering the main question to be addressed, as stated in its title: which psychology(ies) serves us best? In order to achieve this goal, we pursue possible answers in history of psychology of religion and its interdisciplinary relationships with its sister disciplines, anthropology of religion and religious studies, resulting with sketching a typology of the main attitudes towards conceptualising psycho-cultural interface, prevalent among psychologists: the Universalist, the Absolutist and the Relativist stances. Next chosen examples from the field of applied psychology are presented, as the role of the cultural factor within the history of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' (DSM) development is discussed alongside presenting research on the phenomenon of 'hearing voices', in order to show the marked way for the future-the importance of including the cultural factor in psychological research on religion.
2022
The psychology of religion has stemmed from mainstream psychology. The increased interest by psychologists to study religion from a scientific perspective gave rise to the study of religion from a psychological point of view. This essay endeavors to establish the history of psychology of religion; the major historical developments and methodological approaches used by the American and European scholars. The essay acknowledges the interesting journey the field of psychology of religion and spiritualties has taken from a philosophical conception to psychology. It highlights the methodological challenges it has and still faces from the American and European perspectives. The psychology of religion is both an interesting and challenging field, which has undergone a lot of changes, denials, and shortcomings because of the nature of religion and spiritualties. However, this article establishes that a tremendous job has been done in both American and European efforts.
Visuri, I. & Ståhle G. (2023) The psychology of religion: experiential dimensions (in press).
Bloomsbury Religion in North America , 2022
In this article, we will look into some commonly used methods and theories in the psychology of religion. This research field dates back to the early 20th century, when scholars such as Stanley Hall and William James directed attention towards the role of religious experiences and their relation to human nature. Such experiences are focused here, and as we will see, there are various ways of approaching the interaction between psychology, religion, culture, embodiment, and cognition. This article provides examples of both qualitative and quantitative methods commonly used in the field, and the pros and cons these bring about. We will also examine some prominent schools of thought that differ in their approach to religion and psychology: cultural psychology, clinical psychology, and the cognitive science of religion. While some of these scholars premiere the role of culture, others center the role of internal, psychological processes. In some cases, the role of embodied practices and collective emotions are seen as crucial for the understanding of religiosity, and in other cases, individual traits are highlighted. This variety of approaches makes up a kaleidoscope of perspectives on the complex and fascinating ways in which religion and psychology interact, and how the outcome of such processes differs between various cultures and contexts.
Psychology of Religion: An Overview of its History and Current Status
Religion Compass, 2008
The psychology of religion is a complex field involving a variety of approaches that have not always developed in clear relationship to one another. As an aid to orientation, this article aims to provide an overview of the history and current status of the psychology of religion. It discusses the early contexts and origins of psychology of religion; depth psychological approaches to religion, especially those of Freud and Jung; empirical approaches stemming from mainstream scientific psychology; and some ways in which religion and psychology have stood in a more reciprocal relationship to each other. Common issues addressed by the article in relation to these diverse approaches include methodology; the content of religion; the origin, development, and effects of religion; and evaluationsboth the theories' evaluations of religion and scholarly evaluations of the theories.