Psychology of Religion: Autobiographical Accounts

Jacob A. Belzen, editor

In recent years, psychology of religion has experienced a remarkable comeback: research is expanding rapidly, benefiting from a genial scientific infrastructure. An important issue in psychology over a century ago, only a few decades later it vanished almost completely. Its unexpected international reemergence since the seventies has been facilitated by the work of visionaries with the energy and stamina to revive an entire branch of psychology.

In Psychology of Religion: Autobiographical Accounts, a number of these pioneers account for their development in this area, depicting the diverse contexts of their work, the difficulties they had to deal with, and the increasing contemporary possibilities for their field. Critical about their discipline and sometimes about themselves, they offer a unique assessment of the subject and show the way to further research and development. Thought-provoking topics discussed along the way include:

• The challenge of approaching religion from a psychological perspective.
• Psychology of religion as a natural extension of mainstream psychology.
• Why psychology of religion will continue to gain salience over time.

Psychology of Religion: Autobiographical Accounts will appeal to readers in general psychology, religious studies, and philosophy of science. Editor Jacob A. Belzen graduated in social sciences (Utrecht, Netherlands), history (Amsterdam, Netherlands), philosophy (Leuven, Belgium) and sciences of religion (Turku, Finland). He is a full professor at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in cultural psychology of religion, while also actively involved in empirical research on the history of his field. Recipient of various international awards, he counts among Europe's best-known psychologists of religion.

Klappentext

Psychology of Religion: Autobiographical Accounts

Jacob A. Belzen, editor

In recent years, psychology of religion has experienced a remarkable comeback: research is expanding rapidly, benefiting from a genial scientific infrastructure. An important issue in psychology over a century ago, only a few decades later it vanished almost completely. Its unexpected international reemergence since the seventies has been facilitated by the work of visionaries with the energy and stamina to revive an entire branch of psychology.

In Psychology of Religion: Autobiographical Accounts, a number of these pioneers account for their development in this area, depicting the diverse contexts of their work, the difficulties they had to deal with, and the increasing contemporary possibilities for their field. Critical about their discipline and sometimes about themselves, they offer a unique assessment of the subject and show the way to further research and development. Thought-provoking topics discussed along the way include:

• The challenge of approaching religion from a psychological perspective.
• Psychology of religion as a natural extension of mainstream psychology.
• Why psychology of religion will continue to gain salience over time. **

Psychology of Religion: Autobiographical Accounts will appeal to readers in general psychology, religious studies, and philosophy of science. Editor Jacob A. Belzen graduated in social sciences (Utrecht, Netherlands), history (Amsterdam, Netherlands), philosophy (Leuven, Belgium) and sciences of religion (Turku, Finland). He is a full professor at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in cultural psychology of religion, while also actively involved in empirical research on the history of his field. Recipient of various international awards, he counts among Europe's best-known psychologists of religion.**

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Zusammenfassung
In the past four decades or so, the so-called psychology of religion after having been deemed extinct, impossible or unlikely has risen to prominence again: the number of publications is rapidly growing, an impressive secondary literature (handbooks, introductions, etc.) is available already, infrastructure has been developed (a number of new journals devoted to the subject have been founded, organizations have been established, increasingly funding is going to the area), attracting many new researchers. Organizations like the American Psychological Association are now publishing in the field of psychology of religion (and its Div. 36 [psych of rel] with almost 3,000 members is already midsized among the APA-divisions). This book documents this re-emergence and development.

Inhalt
The comeback of the psychology of religion: The aims of the present volume.- My concern with psychology of religion: Defending psychology, respecting religion.- The path of least resistance.- Pastoral psychology as a point of transfer from systematic theology to the psychology of religion.- Toward a mainstream psychology of religion beyond poor relation status.- Writing heavenly language: My research on Pentecostalism and Glossolalia.- Psychology of religion: A personal narrative.- Changing ways of doing things: An autobiographical account of some of my experiences in the psychology of religion.- Evolution of a career: Psychologist of religion incognito.- The story of a late rider.- An accidental psychologist of religion.- Anthropology as a voyage of discovery: Or, everything that finds expression in man merits consideration.- Why the psychology of religion? A rocky path to self understanding.- From the History of Religion to the Psychology of Religion.- How and why I became interested in the psychology of religion.- The evolution of a psychologist of religion.