Social psychologists have often followed other scientists in treating religiosity primarily as a set of beliefs held by individuals. But, beliefs are only one facet of this complex and multidimensional construct. The authors argue that social psychology can best contribute to scholarship on religion by being relentlessly social. They begin with a social-functionalist approach in which beliefs, ...

This article takes as its starting point the changing cultural, social and academic landscape in Sweden which has created a need for new ways of teaching doing research theology religious studies. Against this backdrop, explores concrete work with circle, at Uppsala University, upper secondary education teachers, way working closer to practice thereby including non-academic actors knowledge pro...

This paper highlights unique aspects of social support in a religious context, with an emphasis on the practice of prayer. We first discus presuppositions that drive work in the area including (1) adoption of a ‘‘medical model’’ of evaluation and (2) the corollary influence of existential chauvinism. We next outline how religious groups differ from others with respect to the provision of meanin...