For over three decades, an Ideological Surround Model (ISM) has pursued theoretical and methodological innovations designed to enhance the ‘truth’ and ‘objectivity’ of research into psychology and religion. The foundational argument of the ISM is that psychology as well as religion unavoidably operates within the limits of an ideological surround. Methodological theism, therefore, needs to supplement the methodological atheism that dominates the contemporary social sciences. Methodological theism should operationalize the meaningfulness of religious traditions and demonstrate empirically that the influences of ideology cannot be ignored. The ISM more generally suggests that contemporary social scientific rationalities need to be supplemented my more complex dialogical rationalities. Beliefs in secularization should also be supplemented by beliefs in trans-rationality.

Religion in Personality Theory makes clear the link between theory and research and personality and religion. Presently, most personality texts have a limited discussion of religion and reference few theorists other than Freud and Maslow in relation to the subject. This book reviews the theory and the empirical literature on the writings of 14 theorists. Every chapter concludes with a summation of the current research on the theorist's proposals. Reviews: "Frederick Walborn has written an excellent text that explores the degree to which classical personality theorists were personally influenced by and focused upon religion in developing their personality theories. Each theorist is presented in sufficient detail so that their personal views of religion are seen to influence the theories they developed. In addition, the current status of the empirical evidence in the psychology of religion is explored in the context of the theorist and theory to which the data is most relevant. Current and up to date, this text is appropriate for either a course in Personality or as an introduction to the Psychology of Religion. The author's own comprehensive theory of religion and spirituality creatively integrates the positive contributions of the classical personality theorist to the contemporary psychology of religion." -Ralph W. Hood Jr., Professor of Psychology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga "In this interesting and accessible book, Frederick Walborn thoughtfully probes the place of religion and spirituality in the writings of a broad range of classical psychological thinkers and offers an insightful critique of current empirical research on the complex relation of religion and spirituality to individual well-being." -Michele Dillon, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire - Identifies what major personality theorists say about religion - Investigates whether evidence supports or refutes predictions made by different theories - Concludes with a comprehensive integrative theory on religion and spirituality

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This work is a survey of the current state of the relationship between religion and psychology from the leading scholars in the field.

The general papers in Volume 29 of Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion cover a range of topics including psychological type, prayer, nature and well-being, psychobiography, coping with addiction, and the role of place in spirituality. The first special section on congregational studies draws on a range of large datasets from the National Church Life Surveys in Australia. Papers examine the factors that predict individual sense of belonging in Catholic parishes as well as congregational-level aspects of vitality, collective confidence, and innovativeness. The second special section examines the Ideological Surround Model and how it can help to better understand expressions of faith related to psychological constructs such as mindfulness, fundamentalism, and the ‘Dark Triad’ of Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy. Contributors are: Tania ap Siôn, Amanda (Mandy) Aspland, Dharma Arunachalam, Joel Gruneau Brulin, Zhuo Job Chen, Victor Counted, Giuseppe Crea, Robert Dixon, Martin Dowson, Deepti B. Duggi, Leslie J. Francis, Nima Ghorbani, Pehr Granqvist, Gill Hall, Douglas Hall, Nicole Hancock, Magnhild Høie, Ralph W. Hood Jr., Shanmukh Vasant Kamble, Thomas Lindgren, Ronald J. Morris, Miriam Pepper, Ruth Powell, Brooke M. Ruf, Sam Sterland, Fazlollaha Tavakoli, John-Kåre Vederhus, David C. Wang, P. J. Watson, and John K. Williams.

This compendium of introductory essays invites scholars and clinicians to better understand people of various faiths from around the world. It is intended to correct the tendency among scientists to study religious behavior without accounting for its human dimension. For example: a psychologist describes a religious ceremony in a certain community as a "sociological phenomenon." Such a technical description is likely to strike members of that community as an attempt by science to explain away their beliefs. This is counterproductive. In order to work effectively and empathetically with people of faith, psychologists should seek an intimate knowledge of how religion operates in the hearts and minds of living, breathing human beings. With this goal in mind, editors Timothy Sisemore and Joshua Knabb have made one of the world’s major religions the subject of a separate chapter. In addition, they have arranged for each chapter to be written by a psychologist who practices—or is culturally connected with—that religion. This marks the book’s unique contribution to the field: it is the product of people who have lived the world’s religions, not merely studied them. By taking such a respectful approach, the book promotes an appreciation for the ways that religious belief animates, inspires, and instructs its adherents. Moreover, the indigenous point-of-view of these essays will help scholars identify their own biases when researching religious groups, allowing them to produce more accurate and holistic analyses. Psychologists understand that religion and spirituality provide meaning and purpose to billions of people around the globe. But the actual experience of these beliefs eludes the grasp of the reductionistic methods of science. With this resource at their side, psychologists in academic and clinical settings will be equipped to understand religious experience from the bottom-up, and honor the beliefs and practices of the people they are trying to help.

Eric L. Johnson proceeds to offer a new framework for the care of souls that is comprehensive in scope, yet flows from a Christian understanding of human beings--what amounts to a distinctly Christian version of psychology. This book is a must-read for any serious Christian teacher, student, or practitioner in the fields of psychology or counseling.

The twenty-third volume of RSSSR includes a landmark collection of papers on Theism and Non-Theism in Psychological Science, as well as papers on other key areas in the study of religion such as spirituality and social capital.

Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion publishes empirical and theoretical studies of religion from a wide range of disciplines and from all parts of the globe. This volume has a special section on Islam and Mental Health, an important and neglected area of study. The section draws on work, from six countries, that have applied different theoretical frameworks and empirical methods to examine the link between religion, psychology, and health in very diverse Muslim communities. Other articles examine topics as diverse as spirituality, psychological health, conversion, and the cultural psychology of religion. Disciplines represented include those that draw on qualitative, quantitative, and theoretical methods of study which together represent an important contribution to the contemporary study of religion.

This volume includes a wide range of papers that explore individual and institutional aspects of religion from a social-science perspective. The special section has articles related to the practice of prayer, and includes studies from the USA, Europe, and the Middle East. The general papers include studies on coping strategies, God representations, spirituality versus religion, self-control in a Muslim context, and faith-based organizations in Cambodia. Together these papers form a valuable collection indicating the depth and vibrancy of research in these fields. Contributors are: Blanca Aranda, Mark Aveyard, Aaron W. Banister, Anderson Blanton, Zhuo Job Chen, Francine Dolins, John Frame, Leslie J. Francis, Shira Gabriel, Norma Geist, Gemma Penny, Nima Ghorbani, Zvonimir Knezović, Kevin L. Ladd, Jonathan D. Lane, Patrick J. Laycock, Kirsten A. Lesage, Mikael Lundmark, Patrick Pössel, Rebekah A. Richert, Anondah R. Saide, Nicholas J. Shaman, Fazlollah Tavakoli, Filip Užarević, Jennifer Valenti, Paul J. Watson.