Abstract

The psychology of religion is a complex field involving a variety of approaches that have not always developed in clear relationship to one another. As an aid to orientation, this article aims to provide an overview of the history and current status of the psychology of religion. It discusses the early contexts and origins of psychology of religion; depth psychological approaches to religion, especially those of Freud and Jung; empirical approaches stemming from mainstream scientific psychology; and some ways in which religion and psychology have stood in a more reciprocal relationship to each other. Common issues addressed by the article in relation to these diverse approaches include methodology; the content of religion; the origin, development, and effects of religion; and evaluations – both the theories’ evaluations of religion and scholarly evaluations of the theories.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-8171.2008.00089.x