The Psychology of Religious Behaviour, Belief and Experience

item description 

The Psychology of Religious Behaviour,Belief and Experience
By Michael Argyle, Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi

• Publisher:   Routledge
• Number Of Pages:   336
• Publication Date:   1997-09-18
• ISBN-10 / ASIN:   0415123305
• ISBN-13 / EAN:   9780415123303

Product Description:

What are the social consequences of religion? In an increasinglysecular society, it may seem irrelevant to consider the psychology ofreligion. But the diversity of our multi-ethnic and multi-culturalsociety in fact makes religion more important to the social sciencesthan it has ever been before.

The Psychology of Religious Behaviour, Belief and Experience is themost comprehensive survey of theories and research on religion from theperspective of psychology. From miracles, visions and zeal to moremundane religious experiences, the authors compare different culturesand different parts of society and use their findings to testexplanations of the origins and functions of religion. They concludethat religiosity is social--a product of learning, gender, personalitycharacteristics and culture. They also consider social consequences ofreligiosity, religious experience, the effect of religion on health,conversion, and the benefit or otherwise of religion.

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