Widely regarded as the definitive reference, this volume comprehensively examines the psychological processes associated with religion and spirituality. Leading scholars from multiple psychological subdisciplines present developmental, cognitive, social psychological, cultural, and clinical perspectives on this core aspect of human experience. The forms and functions of religious practices and rituals, conversion experiences, and spiritual struggles are explored. Other key topics include religion as a meaning system, religious influences on prosocial and antisocial behavior, and connections to health, coping, and psychotherapy.

New to This Edition
*Two chapters on cross-cultural issues.
*Chapters on spiritual goals, emotional values, and mindfulness.
*Reflects significant theoretical and empirical developments in the field.
*Many new authors and extensively revised chapters.
*Robust index amplifies the volume's usefulness as a reference tool.

AChoice Outstanding Academic Title

I. Foundations of the Psychology of Religion
1. Recent Progress and Core Issues in the Science of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Raymond F. Paloutzian and Crystal L. Park
2. Defining Religion and Spirituality, Doug Oman
3. Measurement Assessment and Issues in the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Peter C. Hill
4. Research Methods in the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Ralph W. Hood, Jr., and Jacob A. Belzen
5. Psychodynamic Psychology and Religion, Jozef Corveleyn, Patrick Luyten, and Jessie Dezutter
6. Evolutionary Psychology as a Foundation for the Psychology of Religion, Lee A. Kirkpatrick
7. Building Blocks of Sacralities: A New Basis for Comparison across Cultures and Religions, Ann Taves
II. Religion through the Developmental Lens
8. Religious and Spiritual Development in Childhood, Rebekah A. Richert and Pehr Granqvist
9. Religious Development from Adolescence to Middle Adulthood, Michael R. Levenson, Carolyn M. Aldwin, and Heidi Igarashi
10. Old Persons, Old Age, Aging, and Religion, Susan H. McFadden
III. Religion and Basic Psychology Subdisciplines
11. The Neuropsychology of Religious Experience, Patrick McNamara and P. Monroe Butler
12. Exploring Religion's Basement: The Cognitive Science of Religion, Justin L. Barrett
13. Gods and Goals: Religion and Purposeful Action, Robert A. Emmons and Sarah A. Schnitker
14. The Religious Shaping of Feeling: Implications of Affect Valuation Theory, Jeanne L. Tsai, Birgit Koopmann-Holm, Masako Miyazaki, and Camaron Ochs
15. The Role of Personality in Understanding Religious and Spiritual Constructs, Ralph L. Piedmont and Teresa A. Wilkins
16. Religiousness, Social Psychology, and Behavior, Michael E. Nielsen, Arthur T. Hatton, and Michael J. Donahue
17. Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology of Religion, Vassilis Saroglou and Adam B. Cohen
IV. The Construction and Expression of Religion and Spirituality
18. Religion and Meaning, Crystal L. Park
19. Religious and Spiritual Struggles, Julie J. Exline and Eric D. Rose
20. Conversion, Deconversion, and Spiritual Transformation: A Multilevel Interdisciplinary View, Raymond F. Paloutzian, Sebastian Murken, Heinz Streib, and Sussan Rößler-Namini
21. Mystical, Spiritual, and Religious Experiences, Ralph W. Hood, Jr., and Zhuo Chen
22. Ritual and Prayer: Forms, Functions, and Relationships, Kevin L. Ladd and Bernard Spilka
23. Religious Fundamentalism, Right-Wing Authoritarianism, and Prejudice: Insights from Meta-Analyses, Implicit Social Cognition, and Social Neuroscience, Wade C. Rowatt, Megan Johnson Shen, Jordan P. LaBouff, and Alfredo Gonzalez
24. Religion and Spirituality and Forgiveness, Everett L. Worthington, Jr., Don E. Davis, Joshua N. Hook, Daryl R. Van Tongeren, Aubrey L. Gartner, David J. Jennings II, Chelsea L. Greer, and Yin Lin
25. How Religion Can Support Self-Control and Moral Behavior, Anne L. Zell and Roy F. Baumeister
V. The Psychology of Religion and Applied Areas
26. Religion, Spirituality, and Health, Kevin S. Masters and Stephanie A. Hooker
27. Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health, Crystal L. Park and Jeanne M. Slattery
28. The Religious Dimension of Coping: Advances in Theory, Research, and Practice, Kenneth I. Pargament, Melissa D. Falb, Gene G. Ano, and Amy B. Wachholtz
29. Mindfulness in Psychology and Religion, Michael R. Levenson and Carolyn M. Aldwin
30. Addressing Religiousness and Spirituality in Psychotherapy: Advancing Evidence-Based Practice, Edward P. Shafranske
31. From Concept to Science: Continuing Steps in Workplace Spirituality Research, Peter C. Hill, Carole L. Jurkiewicz, Robert A. Giacalone, and Louis W. Fry
32. Religion and the Staircase to Terrorism, Fathali M. Moghaddam, Zachary Warren, and Karen Love
VI. Conclusion and Future Directions
33. Directions for the Future of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality: Research Advances in Methodology and Meaning Systems, Crystal L. Park and Raymond F. Paloutzian