ABSTRACT
The scientific study of the role of religion and spirituality among adolescents and young adults is on the increase. Some of these studies have focussed on the association between religiousness and pro-social values and behaviour among youth. Other studies have examined the effect of mindfulness on emotional regulation and preventing risky behaviour. Such studies, however, have been wanting in the East African context. The aim of this paper is to report the themes emerging from interviews conducted among a sample of young adults who were part of a larger study examining the effect of meditation on wellbeing. This qualitative study focussed on two research questions: (a) what are the experiences of young people practicing Jesus Prayer technique of Christian contemplative practice? (b) What is the impact of the practice on their outlook of life and behaviour?
Twenty-five participants were recruited from […]
Author: selvam
Maundy Thursday: Eucharist a Sacrificial Meal
Jesus knew that the hour had come (Jn 13:1)
In the Gospel of John, the concept of the ‘hour’ has a specific significance. At the Wedding at Cana, when the Mother of Jesus draws his attention to the fact that “They have no wine”, Jesus comes up with the very sharp reply, “My hour has not come yet” (Jn 2:4). But the Mother of Jesus continues to act as if the hour has already begun to come. In a sense she ushers in the hour. During the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, Jesus assures her, “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (Jn 4:21). Today’s gospel text introduces the last supper with these words: “knowing that his hour had come to pass from this world […]
1 Psychology of Religion: An historical overview
This research project is situated within the field of psychology of religion. “Why should we study religion psychologically?” Spilka and colleagues (2003) begin their book on the psychology of religion with this question. It is worth studying religion from the perspective of psychology because the majority of the people of the world take religion seriously, and it influences their motivation, cognition, behaviour and wellbeing. Therefore, the psychology of religion uses the theoretical framework and methods of general psychology to study the influence of spiritual and religious phenomena on people. (Emmons & Paloutzian, 2003; Gorsuch, 1988; Hill & Gibson, 2008; Jonte-Pace & Parsons, 2001; Spilka, Hood, Hunsberger & Gorsuch, 2003, pp.1-19; Wulff, 1997, pp.1-19).
There are basically three major strands in studies that relate psychology and religion: (a) Religious Psychology discusses psychological findings within the discourse of religion – Christianity; pastoral psychology as an offshoot of this approach draws insight from psychology […]
2 Conceptualizing Religion and Spirituality
In the recent years, it has become a matter of routine in the introductory sections of the works of psychology of religion (Hill & Pargament, 2003, p.64-65; Spilka, Hood, Hunsberger, & Gorsuch, 2003, pp.8-11; Wulff, 1996, pp.5-7), and indeed in other social sciences studying religion (Heelas & Woodhead, 2005; Ludskow, 2008), to make a distinction between religion and spirituality. The titles of several journals respect this distinction. Some of the journals have even changed their names to appear inclusive. Division 36 of the American Psychological Association (APA) has been renamed as ‘Society for the study of Psychology of Religion and Spirituality’ (Pargament, 1999; Stifoss-Hanssen, 1999).
My Classnotes in PDF – CLICK ON LINK: PR02 Definitions of Religion
Reading Material: Towards Religious-Spirituality: A Multidimensional Matrix of Religion and Spirituality
Abstract of the article:
In the contemporary study of religion there seems to be an exaggeration of the distinction between religion and spirituality, not only to the point […]
3 Freudian Critique of Religion & its Corollaries
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SOME SUMMARY POINTS:
Religion: an illusion and a delusion;
Religion was once necessary to restrain man’s violent nature in the early stages of civilization, but today science and reason can replace it (The Future of an Illusion, 1927).
Freud’s Conclusion: all religious belief can be explained through its function to society, not for its relation to the truth.
Religious rituals have the characteristics of neurotic compulsions (like washing hands):
Repeated;
To be performed exactly;
Feeling good (calm) when completed;
Anxiety if omitted or ‘not performed rightly”.
By providing a possibility for expression of collective neurosis, religion might protect us from individual neurosis.