The Psychology of Religion: A Very Short Introduction

by Hood Jr, Ralph W

• ISBN13: 9780198797913
• ISBN10: 0198797915
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2019-01-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The study of the psychology of religion has emerged only recently as a distinct specialty within academic study. Its emergence testifies to the continued interest in religion, both from those who are committed to a faith perspective and those who oppose religion as a threat to progressive secular values.

In this Very Short Introduction Ralph Hood explores the relationship between psychology and different faith traditions. He shows how, for some, psychology can be used as a means to explain religion as ultimately an infantile system of beliefs that both individuals and cultures are destined to overcome with maturity. For others, psychology and religion can be in dialogue, with psychology providing its insights and explanations that help understand religion without claiming to explain away religious claims. And finally there has been an emergence of explicit religious psychologies, in which religion provides the ultimate frame within which psychology attains its limited validity. Hood discusses the strength and limitations of these positions, considering multidimensional aspects of religion including belief, behavior, and experiences. Looking to the future, he concludes with a discussion of the future of religion in secular societies

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Author Biography

Ralph W Hood Jr, Professor of Psychology & LeRoy A. Martin Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies

Ralph W. Hood Jr. is professor of psychology and LeRoy A. Martin Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is a former editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion and a former co-editor of the Archive for the Psychology of Religion and The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. He is currently co-editor of Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion. Hood is a past president of division 36 of the American Psychological Association and a recipient of its William James award for his research in the psychology of religion.