PSK 446 - Psychology of Religion

This course aims to provide students with the opportunity to study the psychological dimensions of religion and spirituality in depth. In addition to understanding the effects of religious beliefs, practices and experiences on individuals' thoughts, feelings and behaviour, students will learn the basic theories, research methods and ethical issues of the psychology of religion.

Definition, scope, importance and method of psychology of religion, religion and God views of major psychological theorists, religion, religiosity, dimensions and models of religiosity, religious development, factors affecting religiosity, religious rituals, psychological and social effects of religion, religion and psychopathology, psychology of belief, formation and psychological effects of conceptions of God 

Pals, D. (2015). Nine theories of religion. Oxford University Press.

Pargament, K. I., Exline, J. J., & Jones, J. W. (2013). APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality (Vol 1): Context, theory, and research. American Psychological Association.

Pargament, K. I., Mahoney, A. E., & Shafranske, E. P. (2013). APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality (Vol 2): An applied psychology of religion and spirituality. American Psychological Association.

Anderson, J. R. (2015). The Social Psychology of Religion. Using scientific methodologies to understand religion. Construction of social psychology: Advances in psychology and psychological trends series, 173-185.

Hood, R. W., & Spilka, B. (2013). A Chronological Overview of the Psychology of Religion. Religious Studies and Theology, 31(2), 129–146. https://doi.org/10.1558/RSTH.V31I2.129

Malony, H. N., & Shafranske, E. P. (Eds.). (2021). Early psychoanalytic religious writings (Vol. 29). Brill.

Berebon, C. B. (2022). Existential approach towards religion. Insight, 2(2), 155-171.

Young, J. (2006). Nietzsche’s Philosophy of Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Koenig, H. G., Al Zaben, F., Khalifa, D. A., & Al Shohaib, S. (2015). Measures of religiosity. In Measures of personality and social psychological constructs (pp. 530-561). Academic Press.

Schnitker, S. A., Medenwaldt, J. M., & Williams, E. G. (2021). Religiosity in adolescence. Current Opinion in Psychology, 40, 155-159.

Bengtson, V. L., Silverstein, M., Putney, N. M., & Harris, S. C. (2015). Does religiousness increase with age? Age changes and generational differences over 35 years. Journal for the scientific study of religion, 54(2), 363-379.

Cornwall, M., Albrecht, S. L., Cunningham, P. H., & Pitcher, B. L. (1986). The dimensions of religiosity: A conceptual model with an empirical test. Review of religious research, 226-244.