The Psychology of Religion and Coping: Theory, Research, Practice [Paperback]

Kenneth I. Pargament (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1572306645 | ISBN-13: 978-1572306646 | Publication Date: February 15, 2001 | Edition: 1

When faced with a crisis, why do some people turn to religion to help them cope, while others turn away? Is religious belief merely a defense of a form of denial? Is spirituality a help or a hindrance in times of stress? Building a much-needed bridge between two different worlds of thought and practice - religion and psychology - this volume sensitively interweaves theory with first-hand accounts, clinical insight, and scientific research.
The book underscores the need for greater sensitivity to religion and spirituality in the context of helping relationships, and suggests a range of ways that faith might be used more fully to help people in crisis.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The definitive work on religion and coping. Encyclopedic in its breadth and depth, the book provides a clinically relevant discussion of religion as a resource for mental health and an analysis of the processes that encourage the conservation and transformation of significance. Dr. Pargament describes the psychology of coping from the complementary vantages of a scholar and clinician. Of note is the sophisticated presentation of theory and empirical data which leads to an appreciation of the role of religion in sustaining meaning and hope in the face of adversity. For the religion scholar, this book provides scientific support for long held assumptions about an important function of faith. For clinicians, this work opens the door for further inquiry into the nature of psychological treatment concerning the provision of hope and articulation of personal meaning. Rarely does one find a book so equally comprehensive and accessible. Academicians and mental health professionals alike will find this volume a thought-provoking contribution to the field." --Edward P. Shafranske, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University and Faculty, Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute; Past President and Fellow of APA Division 36: Psychology of Religion and William Bier Award recipient.

"In this fascinating book, Kenneth Pargament links religion and coping using an elegant and articulate conceptual framework. He makes religious coping accessible to the theoretician, the researcher, and the practitioner, and he provides many insights about the multiple functions of religious coping, when it is used, by whom, toward what ends, and with what consequences. The Psychology of Religion and Coping: Theory, Research, and Practice is a book that the field of coping has needed for a very long time." --Susan Folkman, Ph.D. Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

"Kenneth Pargament has achieved what is all too rare in the psychology of religion: a systematic program of empirical research, guided by theory, that is of practical relevance to helping professionals. No longer is there any excuse for failing to appreciate the subtle and complex ways in which religion and coping interface in the areas of theory, research or practice. This is the authoritative text defining the state of the art in the area of religion and coping." --Ralph W. Hood Jr., Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion; Past President of Division 36 of the APA

"We who are clergy know what we do in our ministry and we know its effectiveness. But why is ministry effective?...Here is a way to find out. This work contains a massive amount of information. It presents a coherent way of thinking about ministry--and, in fact, how to improve it." --Larry VandeCreek, D.Min.

"The Psychology of Religion and Coping will provide students with a solid foundation and understanding of religion in the coping process. It is a superbly done work that should be required reading for every student in psychology, the ministry, and related professions. It fills a deep gap in the psychological literature, which for years has neglected perhaps the most important and common way that people cope with stress. " --Harold G. Koenig, MD, MHSc

"...a terrific book, especially for anyone who lives as closely to their own and other' search for meaning in stressful life experiences as chaplains do....I found it remarkably readable and thought-provoking throughout....One of the many strong points of the book for us is the author's liberal use of incisive and moving stories....it belongs in the hands of every professional chaplain." --Chaplain Margot Hover, Horizons, Newsletter of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains

"This is one of the most comprehensive texts in the field. Second to none." --Marcus G. Smucker, Eastern Mennonitie Seminary University

About the Author

Kenneth I. Pargament, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Bowling Green State University, where he is also Director of Clinical Training of the clinical psychology PhD program. He is coeditor of Forgiveness: Theory, Research, and Practice (with Michael E. McCullough and Carl E. Thoresen).

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 548 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press; 1 edition (February 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572306645
• ISBN-13: 978-1572306646
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #97,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Psychology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent integration of religion and psychology, November 25, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Psychology of Religion and Coping: Theory, Research, Practice (Hardcover)

Pargament provides an excellent summary of the clinical, research, and theological lierature on religion as it relates to coping and well-being. he also develops a useful,jargon-free framework for integrating psychology and religion. This book will be of interest to mental health clinicians, researchers in the field, as well as members of the lay public.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars indispensible, May 14, 2006

By 

Russell A. Carleton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Psychology of Religion and Coping: Theory, Research, Practice (Paperback)

A serious scholar of psychology and religion should have this book prominently displayed on the bookshelf, particularly those with a clinical bent. In fact, a good clinical psychologist would benefit from this one too, as often patients turn to religion in their attemtpts to cope, yet clinicians receive little to no training on the subject of religion.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely important research!, February 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Psychology of Religion and Coping: Theory, Research, Practice (Hardcover)

This was a key reference book when I wrote "Spiritual Health Psychology" (ISBN: 0966841735). Dr. Pargament has helped to establish the scientific link between the endorsement of religious beliefs and behaviors and a healthier lifestyle. Must reading for any therapist and/or scientist who wants to fully understand the link between religion and health.