Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 15, No. 1, 1998, page 65
cited. Chapter 6 examines the experience of religion from sensory, behavioral, cognitive,
and affective aspects. There is interesting data on biofeedback, altered states, meditation,
prayer, speaking in tongues, hallucination, and split brain phenomena.
Chapter 7 explores religious mysticism and possible explanations of erroneous attribution,
heightened awareness, evolved consciousness, or a normal function of someone struggling
to find meaning. Mystic movements within major world religions are not included (e.g.,
Gnostic Christian, Sufi Moslem, Hassidic Jews, Zen Buddhists, Hindu yoga). These and
ancient mystery cults are evidence of a significant common need met by mystic ideas and
ritual. There is no reference to Joseph Campbell, Thomas Merton, or Alan Watts, prolific
writers on the subject. Religious conversion is the subject of Chapter 8, described as
complex, multifactoral, and varied: “No one process of conversion applies to all conversion
motifs” (p. 288). Deconversion is also examined, less researched but similar to conversion
phenomena.
Chapter 9 treats social aspects of religion, starting with Neibuhr‟s church-sect theory,
organizational dynamics, and ends with cults and the anti-cult movement. “Most cults by
their very nature can be expected to appeal permanently only to a minority of followers”
(p.328). That is perhaps of little consolation to loved ones of the more than a thousand
persons who died at Jonestown and Waco. “Research suggests the controversy surrounding
new religious movements is not simply an issue of the processes such movements employ
to attract and convert members” but “more likely one of the significant tensions that
mainstream religions and secular groups have with novel religions” (p.329). Mainstream
religions may be defensive about cults, but this is not the sole or major concern.
Religion and morality are considered in Chapter 10, where the authors conclude that
“research has generally found that stronger religious beliefs and involvement are associated
with decreased premarital sexual activity in a broad sense” (p. 346). The more
fundamentalist the religion, the greater the inhibiting effect. The chapter ends with a review
of research on the correlation of authoritarianism to religiosity. Chapter 11 examines how
religion relates to coping skills and adjustment. Maslow‟s hierarchy of needs and Selye‟s
general adaptation syndrome are not included.
Chapter 12 discusses religion and mental disorders. Religion is seen as having a socially
conforming and behavior-control function which also provides positive role models and a
“haven” from stress. Mystical experiences, glossolalia, conversion, and scrupulosity are
described. A discussion of the therapeutic aspects of religion, the role of pastoral
counseling, and the concerns about sex abuse, aging, ethnicity, and gender closes the
chapter.
In this reviewer‟s opinion, Chapter 13, “Epilogue,” should have been included in chapter 1.
It places the study of the psychology of religion into historical and theoretical contexts.
Wundt and James were both open to objective and subjective research studies. Both
nomothetic and idiographic research models are useful. The old dichotomy between science
and religion is fading and “religion is no longer a marginal concern of psychology” (p. 446).
There is a need now for empirically supported theory to “illuminate religious and spiritual
phenomena that otherwise may only be seen „through a glass darkly‟”(p. 452).
This book is valuable as a source book of tables and references that reflect the 1990s
approach of psychology as an organized science to religion and cults. It is of limited use to
therapists since it is a study-based researcher‟s view of the religious experience rather than
cited. Chapter 6 examines the experience of religion from sensory, behavioral, cognitive,
and affective aspects. There is interesting data on biofeedback, altered states, meditation,
prayer, speaking in tongues, hallucination, and split brain phenomena.
Chapter 7 explores religious mysticism and possible explanations of erroneous attribution,
heightened awareness, evolved consciousness, or a normal function of someone struggling
to find meaning. Mystic movements within major world religions are not included (e.g.,
Gnostic Christian, Sufi Moslem, Hassidic Jews, Zen Buddhists, Hindu yoga). These and
ancient mystery cults are evidence of a significant common need met by mystic ideas and
ritual. There is no reference to Joseph Campbell, Thomas Merton, or Alan Watts, prolific
writers on the subject. Religious conversion is the subject of Chapter 8, described as
complex, multifactoral, and varied: “No one process of conversion applies to all conversion
motifs” (p. 288). Deconversion is also examined, less researched but similar to conversion
phenomena.
Chapter 9 treats social aspects of religion, starting with Neibuhr‟s church-sect theory,
organizational dynamics, and ends with cults and the anti-cult movement. “Most cults by
their very nature can be expected to appeal permanently only to a minority of followers”
(p.328). That is perhaps of little consolation to loved ones of the more than a thousand
persons who died at Jonestown and Waco. “Research suggests the controversy surrounding
new religious movements is not simply an issue of the processes such movements employ
to attract and convert members” but “more likely one of the significant tensions that
mainstream religions and secular groups have with novel religions” (p.329). Mainstream
religions may be defensive about cults, but this is not the sole or major concern.
Religion and morality are considered in Chapter 10, where the authors conclude that
“research has generally found that stronger religious beliefs and involvement are associated
with decreased premarital sexual activity in a broad sense” (p. 346). The more
fundamentalist the religion, the greater the inhibiting effect. The chapter ends with a review
of research on the correlation of authoritarianism to religiosity. Chapter 11 examines how
religion relates to coping skills and adjustment. Maslow‟s hierarchy of needs and Selye‟s
general adaptation syndrome are not included.
Chapter 12 discusses religion and mental disorders. Religion is seen as having a socially
conforming and behavior-control function which also provides positive role models and a
“haven” from stress. Mystical experiences, glossolalia, conversion, and scrupulosity are
described. A discussion of the therapeutic aspects of religion, the role of pastoral
counseling, and the concerns about sex abuse, aging, ethnicity, and gender closes the
chapter.
In this reviewer‟s opinion, Chapter 13, “Epilogue,” should have been included in chapter 1.
It places the study of the psychology of religion into historical and theoretical contexts.
Wundt and James were both open to objective and subjective research studies. Both
nomothetic and idiographic research models are useful. The old dichotomy between science
and religion is fading and “religion is no longer a marginal concern of psychology” (p. 446).
There is a need now for empirically supported theory to “illuminate religious and spiritual
phenomena that otherwise may only be seen „through a glass darkly‟”(p. 452).
This book is valuable as a source book of tables and references that reflect the 1990s
approach of psychology as an organized science to religion and cults. It is of limited use to
therapists since it is a study-based researcher‟s view of the religious experience rather than
