The Psychology of Religion: An Empirical Approach (2nd Edition)

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.