A Hermeneutical, Interdisciplinary Approach to the Study of Religion

摘要: To many, psychology of religion – especially as an academic discipline is still a rarity. Either it considered usually because theological priori’s to be impossibility; or regarded superfluous often personal lack interest and sometimes even animosity towards religion. On the other hand, there exists outside broad stream psychology-like approaches spirituality, contaminating with, using on behalf of, religious “salvation.” In way, undertaking like pastoral might come under this label. Although all these psychological are dealing with religion, they not in proper sense. The aim intention latter salutary: more modest only tries figure out some aspects (cf. Vergote 1983/1997). (Although may sound tautological, has hammered away at time again.) Psychology developed laboriously but steadily over last few decades, therefore defines itself branch orients different branches general (and not, for example, theology). by consequence, shares much fate general. Next benefiting from strength general, however, threatened same dangers. “crisis psychology,” which seems have been spoken ever since Karl Buhler’s publication name (1927), exist subdiscipline well. This crisis delineated Amedeo Giorgi (1976) terms unity, relevance, problematic self-understanding science. Even if, post-modern era, one inclined hail pluriformity psychology, Giorgi’s second third reproaches seem hold. many lamentations, various sides, about psychology’s restricted value fundamental understanding human beings, its having lost sight peculiarities individual, non-generalizability results obtained middle class white students, well known drawbacks likewise pertain need repeated length here. spite (or perhaps of) small-scale questions, concepts manipulated variables, increasing refinement scales sophisticated statistical techniques, criticized observing sufficiently, going deeply enough into, phenomena wants explore, when constructing “measuring instruments.” One main reasons relevance is, according Giorgi, self-understanding. Because chose emulate natural sciences could solve dilemma: being faithful demands life-world doing justice science, remaining requirements science precisely that, life-world. approached present themselves world “the kind should must constructed within viewpoint ‘world.’ For man, science” (Giorgi 1976, p. 293).