The Psychology of Religion: A Very Short Introduction

The study of the psychology of religion has emerged only recently as a distinct specialty within acqademic 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 explainaway religious claims. Finally, a third position is the 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 ofreligion including belief, behaviour, and experiences. Looking to the future, he concludes with a discussion of the future of religion in secular societiesABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

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