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Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of violence against women and is associated with risk factors at the individual, interpersonal and societal level. Women often resort to various coping mechanisms to manage their daily lives due to the complex nature by which these factors interact. We qualitatively interviewed a cohort of rural women participating in a microfinance "plus" program in South Africa where women received loans for small-scale business ventures and received training sessions on gender norms. Our findings detailed women's experiences of IPV and the role of faith as a coping mechanism for navigating economic hardship and abuse. Belief in a higher power was predominant in almost every interview, offering a sense of purpose and optimism for the future amid precarious circumstances. Interventions for violence prevention need to consider the important role that faith can play in strengthening women's sense of self and preventing IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to integrate the study of virtue into the study of religious doubt and mental health by considering how a salient virtue, humility, may moderate the relationship between religious doubt and lower mental well-being. Drawing on data from a national sample of midlife and older adults (N = 1,443) from the United States, regression results suggest that religious doubts were associated with greater depression and lower life satisfaction, and that humility was independently associated with lower depression and greater life satisfaction. Humility was also found to buffer the pernicious association between religious doubt and both indicators of mental well-being. Taken together, our study makes an important contribution by adding the study of the virtue of humility to a growing body of work on religious doubt. The process of dealing with religious doubt is complex and difficult, but the attempt to develop the virtue of humility may be efficacious in thwarting the deleterious consequences of managing the ebbs and flows of faith. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical importance of The Netherlands for the International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR) is connected to the beginning of the current form IAPR. Four years pause between the Gdańsk conference (2019) and the Groningen conference (2023) due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the online organization of the 2021 conference. The 2023 conference is being presented in a hybrid format in order to make use of the additional opportunities that the online format provides. Results of the members questionnaire are presented. They provide characteristics of the current composition of IAPR members because of their education, academic positions, and research interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola functions as a unique program for spiritual conversion in Christianity. Despite being effective for over 500 years, there have been few formal studies of individuals' experience of the Exercises. Based on psychological and philosophical literature on conversion through the Exercises, on practitioners' reports, and on an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of survey responses and interviews with Jesuits, this research proposes a heuristic framework by which to understand the process of conversion through the Exercises as a change in the meaning system of the exercitant. The findings reveal those factors that support this change following the Exercises, and the absence of "struggle" that features in the literature. This study is a contribution to the research on conversion, validating the proposed framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the psychological dynamics during worship experiences under the influence of different music conditions. In total, 60 believers were recruited to participate in experiments where they were asked to engage in worship and to connect with God while continuously ranking how strongly they sensed the presence of the divine. After each condition, they were asked to rate how well they were able to focus on God during the worship procedure. Based on a previously published Feedback Loop Model that portrays global psychological mechanisms in worship, we deduced two hypotheses: (1) the ability to focus on God is positively associated with how strong the subjective religious experience becomes, and (2) the different musical conditions yield varying degrees in the intensity of the felt presence of God. Our statistical analyses on the current sample demonstrate that both alternative hypotheses can be accepted. For the latter thesis, two further assumptions were at play: (1) we speculated that religious worship songs were associated with stronger divine experiences than with secular ones, and (2) it was assumed that if they could worship to their own selection of songs, the experience would be more powerful than with the ones that were provided by the research team. Whereas upon our investigation the former assumption can be deemed correct, the latter shows a positive but insignificant association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paganism is a term applied to a number of nature religions based on traditional indigenous practices. Paganism is practiced through rituals designed to facilitate a flow state that allows practitioners to use magic to achieve their aims. Since the introduction of Wicca to mainstream society in the 1950s, many other Pagan traditions have developed. Similarly, the number of people identifying as Pagan has also increased; in 2011, the number of people identifying as Pagan in the U.K. census reached 80,153. Despite this growth, Paganism is a topic that is underresearched in Psychology. This article uses Ryff's theory of psychological well-being as a frame-work through which to explore the ways in which Paganism may be particularly conducive to eudemonic well-being as a result of the flow experiences inherent in its practice. This theory posits six key dimensions of eudaimonia: personal growth, self-acceptance, positive relation with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, and purpose in life. The ways in which each of these dimensions is elicited through Paganism is elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"We had a great conference!" was a comment generally shared by the participants at the last Conference of the International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR) which took place in Gdansk, Poland from 31 August through 3 September 2019. This recent event and the publication, in this issue, of several keynote addresses from this conference, afford an excellent occasion to share some thoughts about IAPR conferences, the G'dansk conference in particular, the state of the IAPR in general, and some considerations and challenges for the future of our organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theological schools are well situated to create intentional cultures for the purpose of spiritual formation. Indeed, most schools of theology have this goal as an essential part of their mission as well as a requirement for continued accreditation. And yet, the measurement of spiritual formation over time is fraught with challenges. This article seeks to address some of these challenges by means of developing a meta-theory of positive change/growth which would eventually serve as a theoretical basis for the development of a generalizable and reliable measurement tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neuroscience revolution has revived interpretations of religious experiences as wholly dependent on biological conditions. William James cautioned against allowing such neurological reductionism to overwhelm other useful perspectives. Contemporary psychologists of religion have raised similar cautions, but have failed to engage James as a full conversation partner. In this article, we present a contemporary, applied version of James's perspective. We clarify the problem by reviewing specific James-like contemporary concerns about reductionism in the neuropsychological study of religion. Then, most centrally, we employ three of James's conceptual tools—pragmatism, pluralism, and radical empiricism—to moderate contemporary reductionism. Finally, we point to a constructive approach through which neuroscientists might collaborate with scholars in the humanities and psychosocial sciences, which is consistent with our conclusion that it is often no longer fruitful to separate neurobiological studies from studies that are psychosocial or sociocultural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of whether Paul objecting to works righteousness, or Jewish religious pride continues to dominate discussion of Romans 1-5. This paper takes a different approach. Drawing on Allport's and Ross's theory of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Religion, it suggests that, when Paul speaks of faith, he is thinking of a deeply-held spirituality which seeks God for himself ('circumcision of the heart'). He sets this over and above self-serving religiosity, a tendency which is found in all religious communities and which he fears is threatening the church at Rome. The paper explores the implications of this interpretation for some recent exegetical debates and for contemporary pastoral practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of recent research suggests that academic and popular distinctions between "religion" and "spirituality" are unfounded. Working from a meaning systems perspective, it is argued that recognizing that "religious" and "spiritual" are part of the same broad category does not go far enough. It is argued that a wider perspective that considers the interplay of many different cultural and social factors on both beliefs and practices is more useful. This broadening of the multi-level, interdisciplinary paradigm to examine all existential cultures, including the secular and non-religious, offers the potential to better understand the complexity and diversity of lived religion. Increased use of idiographic methodologies and a more reflective approach to the constructs used in nomothetic methodologies are advocated as a way to advance the field and better explore beliefs and practices in a more ecologically valid way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-national multilevel analysis was conducted to determine the effects of religion on the extent to which violence is seen as justified against others. Contrary to popular notions that religion causes violence, frequency of prayer, importance of religion, and importance of God were negatively related to justification of violence. Only frequency of service attendance and justification of violence had a positive relationship. This relationship was attenuated when a supernatural meaning system was applied to one's religious beliefs (i.e., religion is primarily for the purpose of making sense of life after death). This meaning system also moderated the relationship between importance of religion and justification of violence. Finally, national-level importance of God moderated the negative relationship between individual level importance of God and justification of violence, strengthening this relationship. Results undermine the constructivist argument for religion as a cause of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper articulates a developmental model for how individuals relate to religious difference. We begin by reviewing scholarly work on multicultural competencies and initial research on religious diversity. To provide a framework for our model, we explore the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity and its relationship to research within the psychology of religion. The review closes by examining and critiquing a preliminary model of interreligious sensitivity. From this multi-faceted review, we propose a developmental model of interreligious competence and suggest key psychological capacities that undergird the model. Two case studies ground the theory before we explore future directions for research. Throughout, we consider the philosophical issues of alterity that shape encounters with religious diversity. By developing this model of interreligious competence, this article aims to provide a framework to help psychologists and other human service professionals become more effective in their interactions across religious difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Core Metaphysics and Reversible Morals Survey (CMRMS) was administered by computer to a random, stratified, nationwide sample of 1,000 adults. The only groups with significant z score means above 0.5 on the CMRMS’s Conservative Metaphysical Foundations scale were the 178 conservative Christians and the 79 very conservative Christians. The only groups with significant z score means above 0.5 on the CMRMS’s Liberal Metaphysical Foundations scale were the 76 liberal Areligious respondents and the 56 very liberal Areligious respondents. The only groups with significant z score means above 0.5 on the CMRMS’s Conservative Moral Perspectives scale were the 42 conservative Areligious respondents and the 11 very conservative Areligious respondents. The only respondents with a significant z score means above 0.5 on the CMRMS’s Liberal Moral Perspectives scale were the 39 very liberal Christians. These findings—along with the fact that the two metaphysical foundations’ z scores are so negatively correlated, so diametrically opposed, unlike the two reversible moral perspectives’ z scores—suggest an underlying reason why Christians tend to be conservative and why areligious individuals tend to be liberal: the underlying and opposing metaphysical foundations of Christian faith and areligious principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paul’s argument against his opponents in Galatians has frequently been used to support division amongst Christians, sometimes with catastrophic results. Can this angry polemical letter be of any use for pastoral practice today? Building on a critique of J. L. Martyn’s interpretation of Galatians and drawing on ideas from the psychology of religion, this article suggests that if Paul is seen as tackling a case of “immature religion”, we can be guided by his argument, without emulating his divisive approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the psychological functions of physical religious objects in religious coping by presenting case studies on the use of prayer cloths. The cases are selected from a qualitative, in-depth interview study among Swedish practising Christians suffering from cancer, on religious experiences and expressions that serve in the process of coping with a life situation changed by the disease. It is argued that current psychological theories on coping and religion lack tools for understanding the role of physical religious objects in the process of religious coping. A theoretical framework that remedies this problem is suggested and applied to the case studies. The key feature of the theoretical framework is that it modifies and extends the coping theory of Kenneth Pargament by drawing on resources from object relations theory, especially the concept of "transitional object". The results suggests that the creation and/or handling of transitional objects is a reconstructing or preserving coping method, and that prayer cloths function as transitional objects when they (a) facilitate transition/ movement between the inner subjective world and the outer objective world by being charged with significance, and (b) function as a coping tool for conserving this significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mentalizing is an important actual topic, both in psychodynamic theory and in clinical practice. Remarkably, mentalizing has been explicitly related to religion or psychology of religion only to a limited extent. This article explores the relevance of the concept of mentalizing for psychology of religion by first describing mentalizing, its development, and neuropsychological underpinnings. Second, to illustrate how the concept gives more insight into the psychology of religious phenomena, mentalizing is related to an almost universal religious practice, namely religious prayer. Empirical studies from different psychological subdisciplines are interpreted from the perspective of mentalizing. Finally, its relevance for the discipline of psychology of religion is discussed. In this way, the potential of the concept as both an explaining psychological mechanism and a bridging notion that overcomes differences between psychological subdisciplines is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, based on extensive empirical research and occasioned by the centennial of both the present journal Archiv für Religionspsychologie (AfRp, Archive for the Psychology of Religion) and its owner, the International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR), deals extensively with the activities in the psychology of religion of Wilhelm Stählin (1883-1975), the prime force behind the IAPR and founding editor of the Aftip. The article discusses Stählins profound methodological contributions to the literature. It analyses the rather informal "founding" of the IAPR on June 10,1914 and describes its aims and first activities. Sadly, what had started so promising was destroyed by World War I: the most active members of the board were drafted into the army and had no time left at all for any activities in the field of the psychology of religion. As a consequence of the economic misery in Germany after the war, there was even no paper available to print a next volume of the AfRp (which had been almost ready in summer 1914) until 1921. In the preface to that volume, Stählin articulated his inability to say anything about a possible future of both AfRp and IAPR. Paradoxically, the beginning had become an end, and should only in 1928 be followed by a new start. (For a more extensive abstract, also in English; see at the end of the article.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, the International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR) will have its centennial, and so will its scientific journal, the present Archive for the Psychology of Religion [Archiv für Religionspsychologie, ARp], This first article on lAPR's (pre)history analyses the fate of the forerunner of ARp, which was published from 1907-1913. When psychology in general began to develop as an empirical, research-based "scientific discipline" since the midst of the 19th century, the psychology of religion became a prominent application of that "new" science of psychology, involving many of the founding fathers of present day psychology. Shortly after evoking these beginnings, the focus of the present article turns to the development of early scientific infrastructure for the psychology of religion. While the psychology of religion was initiated by European scholars such as Fechner (1801-1887) and Wundt (1832-1920), it was the organizer of American psychology in general who started the first journal in this field, G. Stanley Hall (1844-1924). Through his European admirer Gustav Vorbrodt (1860-1929), Hall's journal may have been an inspiration to the founding of the first European journal for the psychology of religion, the German-speaking Zeitschrift fur Religionspsychologie. Most likely the psychiatrist Johannes Bresler (1866-1942) took the initiative to start this journal and had invited pastor Gustav Vorbrodt (1860-1929), who had already repeatedly and vigorously called for psychological study of religion, to join him as editor. Consequently, the subtitle of the journal was 'Grenzfragen der Theologie und der Medizin [Boundary Questions in Theology and Medicine}.' The present paper discusses both Vorbrodt's and Bresler's work in the realm of the psychology of religion, as it does the contributions of two further editors; the philosopher-historian of religion Georg Runze (1852-1938), an honorary professor at Berlin University, and Otto Klemm (1884-1939), a collaborator of Wilhelm Wundt and later the director of the latter's psychological laboratory in Leipzig and the first to hold a professorship for applied psychology. Several reasons are discussed to answer the question why the Zeitschriftfur Religionspsychologie ceased publishing. Based on empirical-archival research, special attention is given to scholarly disagreements (and rivalry) behind the transition of the Zeitschrift fur Religionspsychologie to the new Archiv für Religionspsychologie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary This article aims to introduce, in brief, studies on psychology of religion in Turkey from 1949 to 2012 using literature survey methodology. The historical development of psychology of religion in the West will first be presented before focusing on the historical development of such studies in Turkey. Thereafter, the number of academic psychologists of religion in Turkey is listed. In addition, some information is given about journals, articles and academic dissertations covering scientific studies on the psychology of religion in Turkey. Finally, information about professional conferences regarding this field of study held in Turkey will be given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to explore the associations of religiosity with subjective well-being (SWB) and psychopathology (anxiety and depression) among college students recruited from two different cultures, Kuwait (n = 192) and the USA (n = 158).Method: The students responded to the following scales in their native languages, Arabic and English, respectively: the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, the Love of Life Scale, the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale and the Center for Epidemiological Studies – Depression Scale. They also responded to six self-rating scales assessing happiness, satisfaction with life, mental health, physical health, religiosity and strength of religious belief.Results: The Kuwaiti students obtained higher mean scores on religiosity, religious belief and depression than did their American counterparts, whereas American students had higher mean scores on happiness and love of life. Two factors were extracted: ‘SWB versus psychopathology’ and ‘Religiosity’.Conclusion: Based on the responses of the present two samples, it was concluded that those who consider themselves as religious experienced greater well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary Items were generated to explore the factorial structure of a construct of fundamentalism worded appropriately for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Results suggested three underlying dimensions: (a) External versus Internal Authority, (b) Fixed versus Malleable Religion, and (c) Worldly Rejection versus Worldly Affirmation. The three dimensions indicate that religious fundamentalism is a personal orientation that asserts a supra-human locus of moral authority, context unbound truth, and the appreciation of the sacred over the worldly components of experience. The 15-item, 3-dimension solution was evaluated across Mexican (n = 455) and American (n = 449) samples. Fit indexes point out the viability of the new inventory across these two samples henceforward referred to as the Multi-Dimensional Fundamentalism Inventory (MDFI). Additional validity tests supported that the new inventory was negatively correlated with participants' integrative complexity in a religious domain-specific way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes that the transmission of common religious concepts—such as witches, hostile spirits, benevolent gods, and ancestors—is facilitated by the trajectory of the human emotional response. Because these religious concepts become associated with existentially relevant components of emotional themes they are likely to be internalized, recalled, transmitted, and institutionalized. Emotion is here treated as an evolved, and universally inherited, social heuristic that modulates interpersonal perception and action. Benevolent and malevolent religious entities and associated practices are posited as supernatural extensions of an imagined social world that is partially predicated on, and made meaningful by, the interpretive and motivational functions of emotion. While cultural psychology tends to focus on how culture shapes psychology, this paper begins to construct a theoretical framework that views culture and psychology as mutually constitutive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the contributions to the psychology of religion made by Dr. Marianne Beth (1890-1984), an almost totally forgotten pioneer of the psychology of religion. The article especially contextualizes her initiative to turn “unbelief” into a topic for research in psychology of religion, and describes the tragic end the Nazi reign made to her development and career. Born as the daughter of a prominent Austrian Jewish lawyer living in Vienna, Marianne von Weisl received excellent intellectual training. Initially, her wish to become active in the same field as her father was frustrated by the injunction against women studying law. When this injunction was lifted, she went for a second doctorate in law, her first doctorate having been in the humanities. Marianne Beth became very active in public life (serving on the boards of many organizations, including international ones); she travelled and gave lectures and developed a large radius as a prolific author in newspapers and periodicals. Although clearly committed women's rights, she did not belong to any feminist movement. Her interest in psychology was certainly stimulated by her husband Karl Beth (1872-1959), a professor of systematic theology, who developed an increasing interest in both history and the psychology of religion. In fact, psychology of religion seems to have become the field in which the couple collaborated intellectually most. They were both involved in the founding of a “research institute” for the psychology of religion, of an international society for the psychology of religion, and of a journal for the psychology of religion. All these activities took place from the apartment of the Beths in Vienna, where the preparations for the First International Congress for the Psychology of Religion also occurred. That congress had as its theme; “the psychic causes of unbelief”. Even earlier than her husband, Marianne Beth had published on the topic of unbelief. Her interest may have been triggered by a call for papers by the internationally renowned Kant-Society. The Society issued a prize for a treatise on “the psychology of belief” in 1928, which Marianne Beth then won. It is also possible, however, that the call for papers had been triggered after her initial publications on the subject. Her paper was published in the well-known journal Kant-Studien. There was a plan to publish the contributions to the 1931 congress in Vienna in book form in a series of three volumes, but only one was published, probably due to financial problems. The rest of the papers presented were published in the Zeitschrift für Religionspsychologie, edited by the Beths. (Marianne Beth's paper was also published in this journal.) As her publications since then show, she grew increasingly interested in empirical topics and approaches, and was broadly read in contemporary psychology. She authored numerous contributions to the Zeitschrift für Religionspsychologie. However, when Nazi-Germany annexed Austria in 1938, she left the country for the United States, taking both her children with her. Shortly afterwards, Karl Beth was also obliged to follow his family into exile. In the US, neither had any opportunity to pursue their interests in the psychology of religion; Marianne taught sociology briefly and German; Karl taught “comparative theology”. Nevertheless, Marianne Beth's impulse to turn “unbelief” into a research topic in the psychology of religion did have some lasting influence: the work of better-known psychologists of religion such as Rümke, Pruyser and Vergote are indebted to her, at least indirectly, as this article tries to show. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a psychobiographical study of the connection between the life and work of Heije Faber (1907-2001), the internationally best known Dutch psychologist of religion. Initially, Faber studied theology, qualifying in philosophy of religion; in later years, he studied psychology (second doctorate: 1956). As a politically active pastor, he had to hide from the Nazi-occupation of The Netherlands during World War II. In 1970 he became the first professor of the psychology of religion at a Dutch theological faculty. Faber was interested in a psychoanalytic approach to religion, by the end of his life particularly in selfpsychology as developed by Heinz Kohut. There is a curious contradiction in his work: although Faber employs several types of psychology in his autobiography to interpret aspects of his own development, he neglects the Kohutian psychology that he had himself helped to introduce to The Netherlands. This article tries to solve the paradox and suggests some psychological hypotheses as to the relationship of Faber psychodynamics and his contribution to psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a brief review of the history of the psychology of religion and its nature, we introduce this special section by presenting various themes of ongoing research and pointing out differentially the desirability of continued efforts in these areas. We then assess the field, its growth, increased interdisciplinary opportunities, lesser marginalization, and improved research methodology but also the challenge of arriving at theoretical coherence, studying all types of religious and spiritual understanding and experience, and researching the richness and complexity of the religious variable itself. The six articles that follow detail possible new developments, as covered in our concluding overview. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Should psychology of religion undergo a disciplinary renaissance and, if so, what might it look like? In this paper we explore that question by discussing the benefits of a better grounding of the field within mid-level theories from general psychology that provide it with greater conceptual depth. Such discussion will focus on three already existing and variously productive lines of research as case studies: attribution processes, attachment styles, and religious coping. These case studies represent lines of research at three developmental stages: 1) infancy, with little visible return but with signs of promise (attribution), 2) adolescence, with dividends already yielded but also with promise not yet fully realized (attachment), and 3) maturity, where a fruitful harvest has already been experienced but yet without decline (coping). Regardless of developmental position, it is argued that research in psychology of religion will be enhanced to the extent that it achieves conceptual depth by being framed in terms of mid-level theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a portrait and analysis of the existential-psychocultural situation in postmodern Sweden. Drawing from recent research exploring psychology of religion and existential worldviews, and the Swedish findings from the international World Values Survey, an argument is made for thinking about existential function and dysfunction as public health issues. This is portrayed against the background of Sweden as one of the most secularized countries and simultaneously a country with one of the most encompassing welfare systems. Psychology of religion's updated role here would be to take responsibility for identifying and assessing the categories of function and dysfunction for an existential public health system. This role would also include the planning of policy for societal existential wellbeing, as well as planning prevention and intervention efforts for avoiding existential epidemiology. This new role fits well with public health's third revolution agenda focusing on health, wellbeing and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensions of ongoing research identified in the introduction to this special issue (Reich & Hill, this issue) are discussed here with farther reaching objectives: researching more intensely psychological universals thought to underlie religion, taking a more inclusive approach to psychology of religion, and constructing more comprehensive models. All three involve conscious experience, to which some observations are devoted. Remarks about the relationships between these research areas conclude the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]