Translation of the book: The Psychology of Religion: A Short Introduction By: Kate M. Loewenthal With Analytical Preface

This introduction to the psychology of religion offers a thorough coverage of the subject, from its troubled history to the latest theories. In a tone both erudite and accessible, Loewenthal writes on a wide range of religions and cultures. The book covers all the main areas in this field, from the history of religious psychology, to the many and fascinating ways in which religion and religious belief impacts upon human feeling and behavior. Other areas covered include: prayer, prophecy and conversion – the nature of religious behavior; religious beliefs, and their influence on emotional well-being; disorders of the mind – the relationship between religion and psychopathology the controversial question of religion and prejudice. This introduction looks at why people turn to religion, what they find, and how it affects their emotional wellbeing and their attitude to guilt affection and other areas of human feeling. It ranges over psychosis, depression, love and hate; the areas in which religion and psychology meet.     The chapter on religious feelings discusses both positive and negative feelings, like guilt and shame, and provides evidence for their link with mental health, well-being and psychology.