DOWNLOAD MY CLASSNOTES IN PDF:PP 10 Religion & Positive psychology
Positive psychology and Religion/Spirituality in dialogue
Religion and spirituality are in the domain of “human experience beyond the material” (Miller, 2010, p.35). That is why, Wulff (1997, p.645) proposed the inclusion of the ‘Principle of the Transcendent’ in the psychology of religion. Without due consideration of the transcendent, the psychological study of religion, or any study of religion for that matter, that uses positivist methods, runs the risk of materialism and reductionism (See Gualtieri 1989). For instance, studying religion from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience could provide useful insights, but it cannot sufficiently explain religious sentiments and behaviour. However, this is a matter of debate. The crux of the debate is how far the academic approach to religion should respect the ‘insider perspective’ (Sharma, 1997). Should a scholar of religion necessarily prefer explaining religious processes as an outsider, tounderstanding religious phenomena as an insider – […]
Psychology of Religion; Positive psychology
Positive Psychology as a theoretical framework for psychology of religion
Psychology of religion is now a well acknowledged branch of psychology that uses the theoretical framework and methodology of mainstream psychology to examine religious sentiment and behaviour – collective and individual. The paper begins by reflecting on the dilemma that the psychological study of religion faces: between a measurement paradigm and seeking an overarching theoretical framework. The second part of the paper focuses on one contemporary movement within mainstream psychology, namely, positive psychology that engages with existential questions like wellbeing and happiness, with an empirical grounding. Moreover, research and intervention within positive psychology are led by a catalogue of core virtues and character strengths that have strong religious underpinnings. The paper discusses the viable use of the theoretical and methodological framework of positive psychology in the study of religion, and considers the added value that positive psychology brings to teaching and learning about religion in secular contexts.
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