Religion 369 / Psychology 313
file: 02
Psychology and Religion Winter 1998
Handout #02
Syllabus: Lesson and Reading Plan
Distributed in Class 1/8/98
Advice:
Although the length of the reading assignments averages approx. 32 pages per class meeting (64 pp./week), the length of the assignment for any given class day can be as low as 15 pp. and as high as 57 pp. Please take this variation into account in scheduling your study and reading periods during the semester.
Abbreviations:
HoodSpilka = Hood, Ralph W., Jr., Spilka, Bernard, Hunsberger, Bruce, & Gorsuch, Richard. (1996). The psychology of religion: An empirical approach. 2nd ed. New York & London: The Guilford Press.
SevenVision = Garter Snake. (1980). The seven visions of Bull Lodge as told by his daughter, Garter Snake. Gathered by Fred P. Gone, edited by George Horse Capture. (Lincoln, NE, & London: University of Nebraska Press).
CP = CoursePack (reference to pages in original articles--bibliographic information will be found in the Bibliography)
Act.. = Special exercise or activity.
January 8, Thurs. [first day of class]
Unit I. Psychology and Religion
A. Why are there questions and problems?
B. Psychology of Religion
Act.: The Pratt James Questionnaire
January 13, Tues. [first day with reading assignments]
C. What is (are) Religion(s)?
1. Colloquial meanings of the word.
a) The boundaries of religion
Read: CP # 1. Schendel & Kourany, Cacodemonomania
and exorcism in children, pp. 111-123.
b) Individualism, pluralism = indifference?
Read: CP # 2. Carter, The culture of disbelief,
Chapter 2: God as a hobby, pp. 23-43.
D. What is Psychology?
1. Colloquial meanings of the word.
2. Scientific psychology.
January 15, Thurs.
E. Psychology of Religion(s)?
1. When do psychologists speak about religion?
Act.: Allport, et al. Rel. Orientation Questionnaire
Read: HoodSpilka 1-23
January 20, Tues.
a) Abnormal or extraordinary?
Read: CP # 3. Spitzer, et al., DSM-IV Case book, pp. 419-444.
Read: CP # 4. (first half). Bonaventure. The life of St. Francis.
In Cousins, Bonaventure, pp. 185-198.
January 22, Thurs.
Read: CP # 4 (second half). The life of St. Francis.
In Cousins, Bonaventure, pp. 218-227.
b) The normal also needs an explanation
Read: CP # 5. Moberg, Religiosity in old age, pp. 78-87.
2. Some basic approaches
Read: HoodSpilka 23-38
F. Psychology AND Religion.
January 27, Tues.
Unit II. Historical Roots
A. The Foundations of a non-discipline
1. Assumptions in the Social Sciences
Read: HoodSpilka 38-40.
2. Freud / Weber / Durkheim and their heirs
Read: CP # 6. Morris, Anthropological studies, Chapter 4:
Religion and psychology, pp. 141-181.
January 29, Thurs.
B. Other Perspectives on Religion and the Child
1. Theories of Religious Development
Act.: Early Religious Memories
Read: HoodSpilka 44-68
February 3, Tues.
2. Object relations
Read: CP # 7. Pruyser, Illusion processing, pp. 153-167.
3. Applications of psychodynamic theory
Unit III. Perspectives on the Life Cycle
A. Child to Adolescent
Read: HoodSpilka 72-89
February 5, Thurs.
[Continuation of Transitions in adolescence]
Read: HoodSpilka 89-105
Read: CP # 8. Farrer, Singing for life, pp. 239-263.
February 10, Tues.
B. Adulthood
Read: HoodSpilka 110-148
February 12, Thurs.
Unit IV. Aspects of Adult Religion. Part 1
A. Symbol & Self: Jung's mandalas
Act.: Constructing a Mandala
Read: CP # 9. Jaffe, C. G. Jung: Word and image, pp. 77-95.
B. Symbol, Identity, Self-Narrative
Read: CP # 10. Ignatius of Loyola, The autobiography, pp. 69-103.
February 17, Tues.
C. Rituals & Ritualization
1. The psychopathology metaphor
Read: CP # 11. Freud, Obsessive actions and religious practices,
pp. 115-127.
2. Meanings of ritual
3. Meanings of pathology
Read: CP # 12. Rapoport, The boy who couldn't stop washing,
pp. 259-269.
D. Ritualization, Identity, Self-Narrative
Read: CP # 13. Ignatius of Loyola, The spiritual exercises,
pp. 73-76, 283-293, 330-333.
February 19, Thurs.
1. Ritualization in Human development
2. Rituals and the Life Cycle
Read: CP # 14. Jacobs, Religious ritual and mental..., pp. 291-299.
Act.: Memories of Rituals and Coping
E. Religion, Coping
Read: HoodSpilka 377-404
February 24, Tues.
F. Religion and Death
Read: HoodSpilka 153-179
G. Transitional: Transcendence
February 26, Thurs.
MIDTERM
February 28, Sat. to March 8, Sunday. WINTER BREAK
March 10, Tues.
Unit V. Aspects of Adult Religion. Part 2
A. Religious Experience
1. James and His legacy
2. The varieties
Read: HoodSpilka 183-220
Film: Shamans
March 12, Thurs.
B. Shamanism, trance, and ecstasy.
Read: Seven Visions of Bull Lodge, 11-58
March 17, Tues.
[Continuation of Shamanism]
Read: Seven Visions of Bull Lodge, 49-99
Film: Serpent Handlers
March 19, Thurs.
C. Serpent handlers
Read: CP # 15. Burton, Serpent-handling believers, pp. 13-21
Read: CP # 16. Hood & Kimbrough, Serpent-handling holiness
sects: Theoretical considerations, pp. 310-322.
D. Concepts of religious experience
March 24, Tues.
E. Concepts of religious experience
F. Meditation
Read: CP # 17. Gómez, Mind and Gesture: Buddhist Meditation.
March 26, Thurs.
[Continuation of Meditation]
Act.: Hood Questionnaire
Read: CP # 18. Bassui. Dharma talk, and selection....
In Kapleau, Three pillar.., pp. 163-174.
Read: CP # 19. Bourguignon, Trance and meditation, pp. 297-313.
G. Mysticism
Read: CP # 20. Peers, The mystics of Spain,
pp. 46-53, 57-66, 75-76.
March 31, Tues.
Unit VI. Theoretical Interlude
A. The Study of Religious Experience
Read: HoodSpilka 224-273
B. The problems with Experience: A reflection
Read: CP # 21. Sharf, Experience, pp. 1-14.
April 2, Thurs.
C. The Naturalistic Fallacy
Unit VII. Religion, harm, and health
A. Correlates of Religion
Read: HoodSpilka 406-437
April 7, Thurs.
B. Self-Sacrifice
Read: CP # 22. Kaelber, Asceticism (The encyclopedia of
religion, vol. 1), pp. 441-445.
Read: CP # 23. Fallon & Horwath, Asceticism, pp. 310-316..
C. Sacrifice: violence and desire
Read: CP # 24. Schechner, Sacrifice and violence (part of
"Ritual and performance," in Ingold, ed., Compa-
nion encyclopedia of anthropology), pp. 632-638
(the rest of this reading is assigned for April 21).
Read: CP # 25. Time Magazine, The marker we've
been . . . (Apr 7, 1997, vol. 149), pp. 28-36.
April 9, Thurs.
D. Sacrifice and Cults
Read: CP # 26. Chua-Eoan, Imprisoned by his own passions...
Time (Apr 7, 1997), vol. 149, pp. 40-42.
E. Cults & Psychology
Read: HoodSpilka 300-333.
April 14, Thurs
F. Cults Reconsidered
Read: CP # 27. Galanter, Cults and charismatic group
psychology, pp. 269-296.
Read: CP # 28. .Smith, The Devil in Mr. Jones, pp. 102-120.
April 16, Thurs.
G. Persuasion and Conviction
Read: CP # 29. Harding, Convicted by the holy spirit, 167-181.
H. Persuasion and Healing
Read: CP # 30. Kakar, Shamans, mystics and doctors, pp. 99-115
April 21, Tues. [last day of class]
Unit VIII. Conclusions
A. Belief and performance
Read: [CP # 28] Schechner, Ritual and performance, in Ingold,
ed., Companion encyclopedia, pp. 613-622, 632-647
(part of this reading was assigned April 7).
B. Belief, rationality and magic
April 23, Thurs.
FINAL EXAM (1210 Chemistry, 4:00-6:00 PM)