PSYC 305 Psychology and Religion
An examination of the relationship between psychology and religion, including basic assumptions, methods of inquiry, and areas of possible agreement and conflict. This course will compare psychological and Christian perspectives on topics such as guilt, self-worth, values, morality, self-change, counseling, human nature, evil, and sex, and how the Christian perspective intersects with other faiths. It will evaluate how psychology can influence religion, how religion can influence psychology, and how people have attempted to integrate psychology and religion. This course also includes an introduction to the psychological study of religion and religious experience. Topics will include dimensions of religiousness, theories of the role of religion in human experience, religion and well-being, and the psychosocial investigations of religious experience across diverse faith traditions.