The Psychology of Religion, Second Edition An Empirical Approach

by Hood, Jr., Ralph W.; Spilka, Bernard; Hunsberger, Bruce; Gorsuch, Richard

• ISBN13: 9781572301160
• ISBN10: 1572301163
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-08-02
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

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.

Author Biography

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.

Table of Contents

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