Psychology of Religion

What is Psychology of Religion?

Psychology of religion is the branch of research psychology that studies religious behaviors and religious experiences from a scientific perspective. Psychologists of religion are interested in questions like: what mental processes produce the kind of experiences that people refer to as “religious” or “spiritual”? What goes on inside the mind of religious people during prayer or meditation? Why are some people deeply religious and others are not? They try to address these questions through scientific experimentation.

Who Should Study Psychology of Religion?

Anyone with an interest in religion and spirituality can benefit from an understanding of the psychological ideas relating to these phenomena. Many philosophers, political scientists, and members of the clergy in various religions have made an extensive study of the psychology of religion, and the ideas of thinkers in this field have influenced theorists across the academic spectrum. Religion is a mysterious phenomenon about which little is known, and this makes it an especially exciting area for psychologists.

To specialize in the psychology or religion requires open-mindedness and a willingness to discuss controversial subjects in an honest and straightforward way. Whether you are a religious believer or not, you will need to be prepared to have your beliefs and worldview challenged in your study of the psychology of religion. As a discipline, it treads a fine line as it attempts to study religious issues from a neutral point of view – psychologists of religion generally neither confirm nor deny that religious ideas are true.

The History of Psychology of Religion

Because the ancient philosophers were deeply interested in religion, something akin to the psychology of religion has been a major part of the world’s intellectual heritage for thousands of years. During the Enlightenment, philosophers such as Kant and Spinoza tried to develop a better understanding of what religion is and how it works. Their inquiries were controversial and made many people in the Christian Church uncomfortable, but the questions they raised were too interesting to be stifled. Later philosophers continued to ask questions about why people become religious, how different religions have changed over time, and whether or not there is any truth to religious propositions.

Early psychologists like Sigmund Freud were interested in religion, but tended to dismiss it as a primitive phenomenon that would not last long. Freud argued that religion (Christianity specifically) was a projection of the human need for a strong father figure, and that the idea of God fulfilled a psychological need but had no validity in the real world. His ideas continue to have influence on many psychologists and, perhaps surprisingly, on a large number of reform-minded Christians.

The most famous theorist in the psychology of religion was the American philosopher/psychologist William James. James, one of the world’s most influential thinkers on religious subjects, saw religion as a far more complicated than Freud’s theories would suggest. He argued that people do have a psychological need for religion, but that it was deeper and more spiritual than the simple desire for a strong father figure. He believed that religious claims were symbolic stories, not literal truths.

Today, religious fervor is stronger than at any time in recent history, particularly in the United States. The predictions of people like Freud, who said that religion would slowly die out as science progressed, have not come true. This makes psychology of religion an interesting area for psychologists, since many of the seminal thinkers in that discipline are of little use when it comes to the topic of religion. Religious ideas and practices are coming to be taken more seriously by many academics, and globalization has encouraged theorists to study religions from around the world, making psychology of religion one of the most exciting and fast-growing fields of study.