REL 304 Notes Jan. 20th 2010 Religion and Psychology. Religion is culturally defined.

d. Religion is (1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, pervasive and long-standing moods and motivations in men by (3) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that (5) the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic o Clifford Geertz o Most commonly cited definition (academically)

Religion and Psychology working class definitions. - Religion the belief in supernatural agents and the ideas (doctrines), behaviors (rituals), and social structures (community) that develop around them. - Psychology the study of mental processes and of their effects on human thought, emotion and behavior. - The Psychology of Religion discipline that studies personal religious experience through the application of psychological methods and theories o Formally began in the late 19th century The Psychology of Religion - Two fundamental applications o Descriptive observing and describing the effects of religion on the individual human live o Explanatory developing explanations for the existence and persistence of religion in human life - Major Approaches in the Psychology of Religion o Depth-Psychological Approach the analysis and interpretation of subjective, mostly unconscious religions experiences and their effects (usually negative) on mental health Ex. Freud psychoanalyzing someone Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung are Depth-Psychologists o Humanistic Approach the analysis and interpretation of subjective, mostly conscious, religious experiences and their contributions (usually positive) to mental health. William James, Erich Fromm, Abraham Maslow and Viktor Frankly are Humanistic in nature William James floats on both sides o Empirical Approach (Scientific Approach) the study and explanation of religion through analysis of observable and experimentally testable thought processes and behaviors. Ex. Behaviorism, comparative psychology, evolutionary psychology and cognitive science of religion Objections to the Psychology of Religion

Antagonistic challenges the traditional claims of faith Non-religious ignores the unique Reductionistic