The Science of Religion, Spirituality, and Existentialism

The Science of Religion, Spirituality, and Existentialism

Author: Kenneth E. Vail III

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2020-04-04

Total Pages: 503

ISBN-13: 0128172053

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Science of Religion, Spirituality, and Existentialism presents in-depth analysis of the core issues in existential psychology, their connections to religion and spirituality (e.g., religious concepts, beliefs, identities, and practices), and their diverse outcomes (e.g., psychological, social, cultural, and health). Leading scholars from around the world cover research exploring how fundamental existential issues are both cause and consequence of religion and spirituality, informed by research data spanning multiple levels of analysis, such as: evolution; cognition and neuroscience; emotion and motivation; personality and individual differences; social and cultural forces; physical and mental health; among many others. The Science of Religion, Spirituality, and Existentialism explores known contours and emerging frontiers, addressing the big question of why religious belief remains such a central feature of the human experience. Discusses both abstract concepts of mortality and concrete near-death experiences Covers the struggles and triumphs associated with freedom, self-regulation, and authenticity Examines the roles of social exclusion, experiential isolation, attachment, and the construction of social identity Considers the problems of uncertainty, the effort to discern truth and reality, and the challenge to find meaning in life Discusses how the mind developed to handle existential topics, how the brain and mind implement the relevant processes, and the many variations and individual differences that alter those processes Delves into the psychological functions of religion and science; the influence on pro- and antisocial behavior, politics, and public policy; and looks at the role of spiritual concerns in understanding the human body and maintaining physical health


Religion and the Meaning of Life

Religion and the Meaning of Life

Author: Clifford Williams

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2020-04-09

Total Pages: 197

ISBN-13: 1108421563

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Explores life's meaning through the lens of belief in God and lived realities including boredom, denial of death, and suicide.


Existential Reasons for Belief in God

Existential Reasons for Belief in God

Author: Clifford Williams

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2020-03-18

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1725264692

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Lived faith involves doctrines, evidences and rational coherence—but it includes much more. Philosopher Clifford Williams puts forth an argument as to why certain needs, desires and emotions have a legitimate place in drawing people into faith in God. Addressing the strongest objections to these types of grounds for faith, he shows how the personal and experiential aspects of belief play an important part in coming to faith and in remaining a believing person.


The Three Pillars of Radicalization

The Three Pillars of Radicalization

Author: Arie W. Kruglanski

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 0190851120

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

What fuels radicalization? Is deradicalization a possibility? The Three Pillars of Radicalization: Needs, Narratives, and Networks addresses these crucial questions by identifying the three major determinants of radicalization that progresses into violent extremism. The first determinant is the need: individuals' universal desire for personal significance. The second determinant is narrative, which guides members in their "quest for significance." The third determinant is the network, or membership in one's group that validates the collective narrative and dispenses rewards like respect and veneration to members who implement it. In this book, Arie W. Kruglanski, Jocelyn J. Bélanger, and Rohan Gunaratna present a new model of radicalization that takes into account factors that activate the individual's quest for significance. Synthesizing varied empirical evidence, this volume reinterprets prior theories of radicalization and examines major issues in deradicalization and recidivism, which will only become more relevant as communities continue to negotiate the threat of extremism.


The Religion of Existence

The Religion of Existence

Author: Noreen Khawaja

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2016-12-02

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 022640451X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

What was existentialism? At its heart, Noreen Khawaja argues, existentialism was an effort to translate Protestant piety into a secular philosophy. While there have been many attempts to define existentialism from within as a coherent philosophical program and even as a movement, Khawaja s book is the first study of existentialism from the standpoint of intellectual history and the first to look systematically at the role that Christianity played in the development of existential thought. Focusing on Soren Kierkegaard, Martin Heidegger, and Jean-Paul Sartre, Khawaja illuminates the key moments in existentialism s reconstruction of Protestant piety within the confines of secular philosophy. Heidegger once described his work as an exercise in the piety of thinking. Khawaja s book shows the historical and systematic truth behind this metaphor. Notwithstanding Heidegger, thinking has not always been a pious act. But for a certain group of European intellectuals in the late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it became so. "The Religion of Existence "will appeal to scholars of modern Christianity, philosophers, and historians of European philosophy, as well as those engaged with the theoretical and historical problems of secular and post-secular modernity. "


Handbook of Terror Management Theory

Handbook of Terror Management Theory

Author: Clay Routledge

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2018-11-13

Total Pages: 648

ISBN-13: 0128118458

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Handbook of Terror Management Theory provides an overview of Terror Management Theory (TMT), including critical research derived from the theory, recent research that has expanded and refined the theory, and the many ways the theory has been utilized to understand domains of human social life. The book uses TMT as a lens to help understand human relationships to nature, cultural worldviews, the self, time, the body, attachment, group identification, religion and faith, creativity, personal growth, and the brain. The first section reviews theoretical and methodological issues, the second focuses on basic research showing how TMT enhances our understanding of a wide range of phenomena, and the third section, Applications, uses TMT to solve a variety of real world problems across different disciplines and contexts, including health behavior, aging, psychopathology, terrorism, consumerism, the legal system, art and media, risk-taking, and communication theory. Examines the three critical hypotheses behind Terror Management Theory (TMT) Distinguishes proximal and distal responses to death-thoughts Provides a practical toolbox for conducting TMT research Covers the Terror Management Health Model Discusses the neuroscience of fear and anxiety Identifies how fear motivates consumer behavior Relates fear of death to psychopathologies


Spirituality, Religion, and Aging

Spirituality, Religion, and Aging

Author: Holly Nelson-Becker

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Published: 2017-02-01

Total Pages: 651

ISBN-13: 148331524X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Spirituality, Religion, and Aging: Illuminations for Therapeutic Practice by Holly Nelson-Becker is a highly integrative book written for students, professionals in aging, ministers, and older adults themselves. Readers will gain the knowledge and skills they need to assess, engage, and address the spiritual and religious needs of older persons. Taking a fresh approach that breaks new ground in the field, the author discusses eight major world religions and covers values and ethics, theories, interventions, health and caregiving, depression and anxiety, dementia, and the end of life. Meditations and exercises throughout the book allow readers to expand and explore their personal understanding of spirituality. Referencing the latest research, the book includes assessments and skill-based tools designed to help practitioners enhance the mental health of older people.


Supernatural

Supernatural

Author: Clay Routledge

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0190629428

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Humans--even those who consider themselves secular or atheists--are utterly seduced by supernatural beliefs. Clay Routledge, an experimental social psychologist who grew up in a deeply religious environment, argues that belief or trust in forces beyond our understanding is natural and rooted in our fears of death. In Supernatural: Death, Meaning, and the Power of the Invisible World, Routledge argues that supernatural thinking is adaptive, even healthy, and that it should unite and not divide us.


Irrational Man

Irrational Man

Author: William Barrett

Publisher: Anchor

Published: 2011-01-26

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 0307761088

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Widely recognized as the finest definition of existentialist philosophy ever written, this book introduced existentialism to America in 1958. Barrett speaks eloquently and directly to concerns of the 1990s: a period when the irrational and the absurd are no better integrated than before and when humankind is in even greater danger of destroying its existence without ever understanding the meaning of its existence. Irrational Man begins by discussing the roots of existentialism in the art and thinking of Augustine, Aquinas, Pascal, Baudelaire, Blake, Dostoevski, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Picasso, Joyce, and Beckett. The heart of the book explains the views of the foremost existentialists—Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre. The result is a marvelously lucid definition of existentialism and a brilliant interpretation of its impact.