Aspects in Contexts: Studies in the History of Psychology of Religion(9 International Series in the Psychology of Religion)

Psychology of religion has been enjoying considerable attention of late; the number of publications and people involved in the field is rapidly increasing. It is, however, one of the oldest branches within psychology in general, and one of the few in which an interdisciplinary approach has been kept alive and fostered. The fate of the field has been quite varied in the countries where psychology of religion has been initiated and developed during the 20th century. In this volume, some aspects of this international history are examined. Coming from six different Western countries, each of the contributors has a record in the historiography of psychology and profound knowledge of psychology of religion. Their approaches combine elements from the history of mentalities, the social history of science and biographical studies.
The volume contains in-depth treatments of such topics as the growth of the field as reflected in university politics, developments within international organizations, and the personal involvement of contributors to the field. A wealth of information is provided on the background of the work of well known psychologists of religion like James Henry Leuba, Oskar Pfister, Gordon Allport, Werner Gruehn, Antoine Vergote and others.

Table of Contents:
Notes on the contributors. Jacob A. BELZEN: Psychology is history. On the necessity of the psychology of religion to reflect its own history. By way of introduction to the volume. David M. WULFF: James Henry Leuba. A Reassessment of a Swiss-American Pioneer. Eckart NASE: The Psychology of Religion at the Crossroads. Oskar Pfister's Challenge to Psychology of Religion in the Twenties. Jacob A. BELZEN: Tremendum et Fascinans: On the Early Reception and Nondevelopment of the Psychology of Religion among Orthodox Dutch Calvinists. Hendrika VANDE KEMP: Gordon Allport's pre-1950 Writings on Religion. The Archival Record. Troels NØRAGER: Villiam Grønbaek and the Dorpat School. Elements of a “History” based on the Correspondence between Villiam Grønbaek and Werner Gruehn. Patrick VANDERMEERSCH: The Failure of Second Naiveté. Some Landmarks in the History of French Psychology of Religion. Ingemar NILSSON: The Identity of the Psychology of Religion. A Swedish Case Study. Author Index.

About the Author :
Jacob A. Belzen has earned doctorates in Social Sciences, History, and Philosophy. He is a Professor of Psychology of Religion at the University of Amsterdam and the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands). He has published widely on the psychology of religion, especially on its history and foundations.