The Psychology of Religion : An Empirical Approach

This volume presents the most comprehensive survey of the empirical literature on the psychology of religion available today. Like its predecessor, the second edition of The Psychology of Religion emphasizes scientific work that is moving the psychology of religion into the mainstream of academic psychology, rather than broad interpretive and conceptual discussions of religion. Ideally structured as a text, the volume's chapters each integrate findings according to the theory or theories that best illuminate them, allowing instructors the flexibility to assign any or all of the chapters according to the design of their courses. Completely revised and updated, this second edition incorporates data on the impact of family and schools into an expanded chapter on religious socialization, and also includes a new discussion of religion and coping. Throughout, the text is greatly enhanced by the wealth of empirical research that has been conducted during the past decade.

Ralph W. Hood Jr., Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. A past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association and a recipient of its William James Award, he is a former editor of the International Journal of the Psychology of Religion and the current editor of The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

Bernard Spilka, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Denver, is past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association and a recipient of its William James Award. He formerly served as vice-president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and president of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association and the Colorado Psychological Association.

Bruce Hunsberger, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Widely published, he is a recipient of the William James award for research of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association.

Richard Gorsuch, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the Graduate School of Psychology of Fuller Theological Seminary, is a past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association, a recipient of its William James Award, and a former editor of The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.