Admission requirements
Please contact Dr. E.M. de Boer before signing up for this course for admission requirements.
Description
This seminar aims to provide its students insight in several psychological approaches to religion, spirituality and meaning making. We use broad definitions of religion and spirituality (see Paloutzian & Park, 2005, in Handbook of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality). Examples are:
‘Whatever we as individuals do to come to grips personally with the questions that confronts us because we are aware that we and others like us are alive and that we will die’ (religion defined by Batson, Schoenrade and Ventis, 1993)
‘A way of being and experiencing that comes about through awareness of a transcendent dimension and that is characterized by certain identifiable values in regard to self, life, and whatever one considers to be the Ultimate’ (spirituality defined by Elkins et al., 1988).
The following three themes are dealt with in this seminar:
(1) Existential themes: For instance, what (e.g., experiences, work circumstances, social interactions) makes people feel that they are alive and human beings ? How do (non)religious people nowadays deal with existential issues such as death, freedom, isolation, meaninglessness, groundlessness? When are modern people confronted with (or aware of) existential issues? (How) do spiritual or religious practices (e.g., meditation, prayer, mindfulness, self-transcendence) help dealing with these issues? And how are certain practices related to mental health?
(2) Consciousness, boundaries and the self: contact with unseen realities or ‘the sacred’: For instance, (how) do human beings differ in the extent to which they feel connected with others or with God or the universe or other unseen or sacred realities? When do they consider this so-called unseen reality as real, true or important? And (how) is this related to individual or personality differences in consciousness levels, perceived boundaries between self and others, the ability to self-transcendence, and psychopathology?
(3) Religion and regulating relationships: Religions all over the world emphasize the importance of relational values such as compassion, empathy, solidarity, love, and respect. In theme 3 we are in particular interested in (1) the importance of non-sacred relational outcomes for (religious) people (e.g., belongingness to a social group, social identity) and how religion may help to provide these relational outcomes, and (2) how religion or spirituality may influence social interactions, behavior toward perceived out-groups
Course objectives
Students are familiar with existential themes and know the main theoretical approaches to meaning making and spiritual and religious development in relation to mental health and social behavior, and are able to reflect on these approaches. The focus is on Western psychological theories as well as on some psychological issues that are important in contemplative traditions, non-Western and transpersonal psychology.
In addition there is a large focus on empirical research. Students learn to reflect on this material critically, to formulate new research questions, and to make a personal contribution to ongoing social-scientific research within the institute for religious studies.
Timetable
See timetable### Mode of instruction
Tutorial and individual study of source materials
Weekly meetings
Course Load
140 hours (5 ec), 28 hours (tutorial)
Assessment method
Participation group discussion, Weekly assignments, Mini-essays (3x), Paper (research proposal)
Blackboard
Yes
Reading list
To be announced (blackboard).
Registration
Students are required to register for this course via uSis, the course registration system of Leiden University. General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
“Registration Studeren à la carte”: www.hum.leidenuniv.nl/onderwijs/alacarte
“Registration Contractonderwijs”: http://www.hum.leidenuniv.nl/onderwijs/contractonderwijs/
Remarks
This course will be taught in English except when all participants have a working knowledge of Dutch.