Psychology of religion
Psychology of religion studies how religious beliefs, experiences, practices, and institutions relate to mental processes and behavior.
Religious belief: Acceptance of claims about sacred beings, powers, realities, or teachings. Belief is one central subject whose formation and effects this field investigates.
Attachment theory: A theory of how early relationships with caregivers shape expectations of safety and closeness. Some models treat God representations as related to attachment patterns and needs.
William James: An American philosopher and psychologist whose work helped establish modern psychology. His Varieties of Religious Experience examined personal religious life through psychological description.
Religious coping: The use of religious beliefs or practices to manage stress and life challenges. It shows how faith can support coping or intensify distress, depending on its form.
Theology: The systematic study of religious doctrines, practices, and claims about the divine. Psychology explains mental processes; theology also evaluates religious claims from within traditions.
Religious experience: A subjective experience interpreted as an encounter with, or awareness of, sacred reality. Psychologists study how such experiences arise and how people interpret them.
Theory of mind: The capacity to attribute beliefs, desires, intentions, and knowledge to oneself and others. Attributing minds helps explain how people reason about invisible, intentional agents.
Sigmund Freud: An Austrian neurologist who founded psychoanalysis and theorized about unconscious mental processes. His writings interpreted religion through wishes, family relations, and psychological conflict.
Religion and mental health: The study of associations between religious involvement and psychological well-being or disorder. This research tests when religious involvement correlates with mental health outcomes.
Sociology of religion: The study of religion's social organization, institutions, and effects on society. It emphasizes social structures and institutions where psychology focuses on mental processes and behavior.