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The Psychology of Prayer: A Scientific Approach

Bernard Spilka

€ 54.68

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Description for The Psychology of Prayer: A Scientific Approach Hardback. Num Pages: 226 pages, Illustrations. BIC Classification: HRA; JM. Category: (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly. Dimension: 233 x 167 x 20. Weight in Grams: 462.
Reviewing the growing body of scientific research on prayer, this book describes what is known about the behavioral, cognitive, emotional, developmental, and health aspects of this important religious activity. The highly regarded authors provide a balanced perspective on what prayer means to the individual, how and when it is practiced, and the impact it has in people's lives. Clinically relevant topics include connections among prayer, coping, and adjustment, as well as controversial questions of whether prayer (for oneself or another) can be beneficial to health. The strengths and limitations of available empirical studies are critically evaluated, and promising future research ... Read more

Product Details

Publisher

Guilford Publications United States

Number of pages

226

Format

Hardback

Publication date

2012

Condition

New

Number of Pages

226

Place of Publication

New York, United States

ISBN

9781462506958

SKU

V9781462506958

Shipping Time

Usually ships in 15 to 20 working days

Ref

99-15

About Bernard Spilka

Bernard Spilka, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Denver. He has been president of the Colorado Psychological Association, the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, and Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) of the American Psychological Association, and vice president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Dr. Spilka is a recipient ... Read more

Reviews for The Psychology of Prayer: A Scientific Approach

Kudos to Spilka and Ladd
two premier scientific explorers of the human religious impulse
for this landmark volume on the psychology of prayer. The authors serve as expert guides on a tour of prayer's varied forms, motivations, transformations across life's stages, and emotional and physical benefits.
David G. Myers, PhD, Department of Psychology, Hope College This book is ... Read moreof such high quality that I kept reading it in order to glean all of its knowledge, insights, and wisdom. Spilka and Ladd do a superbly honest, careful, and accurate job of squaring with the evidence on such issues as whether prayer heals, how its meaning evolves through development, what motivates it, and how it is mediated by cognitive, physiological, behavioral, and social psychological processes. This is the authoritative book on a timeless topic. Very happily, the authors avoid the too sweeping or simplistic; their suggestions and interpretations are realistic, sensible, and based on evidence.
Raymond F. Paloutzian, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Westmont College; Editor, The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion Until now, the psychology of religion lacked a systematic assessment of what is scientifically known about prayer. Two of the best scholars in the field combine theoretical rigor and methodological sophistication to provide this masterful review. The book is filled with wise recommendations for future research that will avoid the pitfalls that have characterized much of the empirical research to date. This is truly a much-needed, authoritative contribution on a topic central to all of the world's great faith traditions.
Ralph W. Hood, Jr., PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga This is the psychology of religion at its best. Spilka is a founding father of the field, and he and Ladd have produced a gem of a book sparkling with the latest scientific information on the most critical questions about prayer. A remarkably sensitive work of scholarship, the book succeeds in constructing an empirically based psychology of prayer without diminishing or explaining away its value to those who are committed to a life of faith. This book could be used as a primary text for a graduate seminar or advanced undergraduate seminar in the psychology of religion and prayer.
Kenneth I. Pargament, PhD, Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University Engaging, scholarly, and open minded, this is the first book to bring together theory and research on the many elements in the psychological study of prayer. Topics include the multidimensionality of prayer, intercessory prayer, developmental issues, and connections to coping and adjustment. This comprehensive book is essential reading for those interested in understanding the central role of prayer in the psychology of religion, and will serve as an important text in both graduate and undergraduate courses.
Crystal L. Park, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut Addressing essential themes, this book offers the best summary available of psychological research on prayer. Spilka and Ladd offer fair, thorough coverage
without shying away from controversial issues
and point out questions that need further study. This book is very well suited to an undergraduate- or graduate-level psychology of religion course; students will appreciate its approachable style.
Michael Nielsen, PhD, Department of Psychology, Georgia Southern University This book offers a hard-nosed yet respectful and sympathetic treatment of scientific research on prayer. As psychologists, Spilka and Ladd take scientific methods seriously as they show how multidimensional and psychologically useful prayer is. Readers will come away with a greater appreciation of the many ways prayer affects and is affected by psychology, and a more mature understanding of the role of prayer in their own and others' lives.
Everett L. Worthington, Jr., PhD, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University Show Less

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The Psychology of Prayer: A Scientific Approach

Bernard Spilka

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