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Religions
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Religion, Spirituality and Psychology
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Religion, Spirituality and Psychology

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Health/Psychology/Social Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2020) | Viewed by 31736

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Viviette Allen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC 28301, USA
Interests: psychosocial aspects of religion and spirituality; ethics; moral reasoning and decision making; psychosocial aspects of leadership; pastoral (or clergy) counseling; stress; eating disorders

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This issue will include investigation and discussion on the complex relationships between religion, spirituality, and psychology with an emphasis on shared concepts, areas of discord or disagreement, as well as applications to promote psychological, social, and spiritual wellbeing. It will be an eclectic collection of empirical, theoretical, and applied works.

This issue is intended to advance our understanding of topics such as:

  • Textual or content analysis of common themes in major sacred, theoretical, and historical in religious, spiritual, and psychological writings (such as the Torah, Bible, Dhammapada, Qur’an, Bhagavad-Gita as well as the writings of Carl G. Jung, Viktor Frankl, Martin Buber, Daniel Goleman, and Thomas Aquinas);
  • The roles of religion and spirituality to promote mental wellbeing;
  • Faith-based counseling;
  • Optimism;
  • Meaningfulness;
  • Prosocial Behavior;
  • Religious, spiritual, and psychological aspects of coping, stress management, and/or conflict resolution;
  • Religious, spiritual, and psychological aspects of mental illness, physical illness, and/or end-of-life concerns and grief;
  • Disenfranchised and marginalized populations;
  • Interfaith communication and cooperation: obstacles and solutions;
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy;
  • Spiritual abuse;
  • Ethics and moral reasoning.

Dr. Viviette Allen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
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  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 310 KiB  
Article
Depth Psychological Elements in Seon Master Daehaeng’s Dharma Talks, with Special Reference to Hanmaum Yeojeon
by Chae Young Kim
Religions 2021, 12(2), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12020114 - 10 Feb 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1980
Abstract
This essay attempts to approach the dharma talks of Korean Seon Master Daehaeng (1927–2012) from a modern scientific perspective. In particular, it tries to articulate depth psychological elements which belong to or which are relevant in some way to her dharma talks. In [...] Read more.
This essay attempts to approach the dharma talks of Korean Seon Master Daehaeng (1927–2012) from a modern scientific perspective. In particular, it tries to articulate depth psychological elements which belong to or which are relevant in some way to her dharma talks. In so doing, it will attend to the content of her magnum opus, Hanmaum Yeojeon (The Principle of One Mind), which was compiled from her extensive dharma talks. This essay articulates that she could be regarded in contemporary Korean Buddhism as a pioneer, the author of the first works which can be only understood properly if one’s point of departure is the kind of meaning revealing depth psychological elements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Spirituality and Psychology)
18 pages, 501 KiB  
Article
Clients’ Faith Experiences as an Opportunity or a Challenge for Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Records
by Aida Hougaard Andersen, Dorte Toudal Viftrup, Heidi Frølund Pedersen and Kirsten K. Roessler
Religions 2020, 11(10), 502; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11100502 - 1 Oct 2020
Viewed by 2994
Abstract
Faith experiences constitute important sources of meaning but also a risk of religious struggles. However, studies exploring the faith experiences of clients in relation to psychological functioning in psychotherapy are needed, especially in secularized countries. This study investigated how clients described faith experiences [...] Read more.
Faith experiences constitute important sources of meaning but also a risk of religious struggles. However, studies exploring the faith experiences of clients in relation to psychological functioning in psychotherapy are needed, especially in secularized countries. This study investigated how clients described faith experiences when addressed in psychotherapy, how they experienced faith in relation to coping, and how the experiences were integrated into the psychotherapy. Written records of 33 clients from a psychological clinic with outpatient care in Denmark were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The most prevalent diagnoses among the clients were stress, depression, anxiety, and life crises. The clients reported that spiritual and religious beliefs functioned as sources of meaning and constituted either a strength, a challenge, or a combination of both. The psychosocial life and coping strategies of the clients were interwoven with faith experiences. A psychological, resource-focused approach in relation to the clients’ religious challenges seemed to help them toward a more flexible and resource-oriented faith. Assessing faith experiences as sources of meaning in a therapeutic approach focusing on the client’s resources may increase both the psychological functioning of clients and the therapists’ understanding of clients’ lifeworlds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Spirituality and Psychology)
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13 pages, 2777 KiB  
Article
Approaching Spiritual and Existential Care Needs in Health Education: Applying SOPHIE (Self-Exploration through Ontological, Phenomenological, and Humanistic, Ideological, and Existential Expressions), as Practice Methodology
by Gulnar Ali and Nasreen Lalani
Religions 2020, 11(9), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11090451 - 3 Sep 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4963
Abstract
Addressing existential and spiritual care needs, often remains a challenge in health education. Spirituality is a subjective human experience that shapes how individuals make meaning, construct knowledge, develop their own sense of reality, and bring personal and social transformation. To inspire health and [...] Read more.
Addressing existential and spiritual care needs, often remains a challenge in health education. Spirituality is a subjective human experience that shapes how individuals make meaning, construct knowledge, develop their own sense of reality, and bring personal and social transformation. To inspire health and social students at a London based University; learners were engaged into philosophical reasonings associated with the meaning to care. SOPHIE (Self-exploration through Ontological, Phenomenological and Humanistic, Ideological, and Existential expressions)—a reflective practice tool was applied during in-class activities from June 2019–2020. Using SOPHIE as a tool, students were encouraged to explore existential and ontological care aspects by engaging into transformative learning approaches. Participants identified their own existential and spiritual care needs by reflecting on their own meaning making process. SOPHIE enabled resilience and authenticity among learners as a reflexive discourse. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Spirituality and Psychology)
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10 pages, 216 KiB  
Article
Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Palliative Care: The Gap between the Psychological and Moral Approaches
by Carlo Leget
Religions 2020, 11(9), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11090440 - 27 Aug 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2904
Abstract
Forgiveness is an important theme in end-of-life care in all spiritual and religious traditions, although it is framed differently. Looking at research on forgiveness in palliative care literature from the last two decades, it is clear that forgiveness is predominantly carried out from [...] Read more.
Forgiveness is an important theme in end-of-life care in all spiritual and religious traditions, although it is framed differently. Looking at research on forgiveness in palliative care literature from the last two decades, it is clear that forgiveness is predominantly carried out from a psychological perspective. According to this approach, forgiveness is seen as something that can be managed and taught in order to reduce stress and promote health. There is no doubt that this approach has its merits and is useful for dealing with guilt from the individual perspective of one’s own psychological health. From a moral perspective, however, forgiveness is more than dealing with personal feelings of guilt. In order to show the differences and gaps between the psychological and moral perspectives on forgiveness, I discuss the work of the German philosopher Svenja Flaßpöhler. I show that, from a moral perspective, forgiveness can neither be managed or taught, nor seen as a form of understanding, loving, or forgetting. As a conclusion, I formulate some recommendations for future research on forgiveness, distinguishing between the psychological and moral perspectives on forgiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Spirituality and Psychology)

Review

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13 pages, 418 KiB  
Review
Death Anxiety, Religiosity and Culture: Implications for Therapeutic Process and Future Research
by Apurva-kumar Pandya and Tripti Kathuria
Religions 2021, 12(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12010061 - 16 Jan 2021
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 17356
Abstract
Death anxiety is a common phenomenon that humans experience. It is multidimensional. There has been an upsurged interest around the discussion on death anxiety across the globe, however, much of the literature focuses on the concept of death anxiety, religiosity, and its role [...] Read more.
Death anxiety is a common phenomenon that humans experience. It is multidimensional. There has been an upsurged interest around the discussion on death anxiety across the globe, however, much of the literature focuses on the concept of death anxiety, religiosity, and its role in mental health conditions. Further, studies on death anxiety are scattered and at times disconnected. It is important to review existing literature to get an overview of the current direction in research and understand its relevance to facilitate therapeutic processes. In this scoping review, literature was searched in databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and PsychINFO using key words such as “death anxiety”, “fear of death”, religion”, “culture”, and “psychopathology” combined with Boolean operators to narrow down the search results. The initial search yielded 614 records, of which 546 records were removed based on title review (363), abstract review (94), and full-text review (89). Finally, 68 articles were appraised, narratively synthesized, and thematically presented. Major themes revealed in the literature were theoretical frameworks of death anxiety, religiosity, universality, psychological effects of death anxiety, psychopathology, and religious coping strategies. There is a need to assess client’s death anxiety and address them using religious rituals and coping mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Spirituality and Psychology)
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