ABSTRACT

Because society is increasingly secular, it may seem irrelevant to consider the psychology of religion. But the diversity of our multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in fact makes religion more important to the social sciences than it has ever been before. What are the social consequences of religion? Every day the news is full of events that can be blamed on religion perpetrated by a range of groups from whole societies to individuals.
Beit-Hallami and Argyle are renowned for their clear, analytical approach to topics and this new, state-of-the-art study of psychology and religion is no exception. It will be welcomed as an update to their previous work in the area by social psychologists, sociologists and theologians worldwide.

chapter 2|24 pages

Explanations and research hypotheses

chapter 3|15 pages

Research methods

Methods of studying religious phenomena, their correlates, causes and effects

chapter 4|24 pages

Ritual and clergy

chapter 5|24 pages

Religious Experience

chapter 7|25 pages

Changing beliefs and identities

Conversion, religious movements, and defection

chapter 10|24 pages

The effects of religiosity Individual level

chapter 11|22 pages

The effects of religiosity Group level

chapter 12|27 pages

Evidence, inferences, and interpretations