Religion and Human Flourishing

by Adam B. Cohen (Editor)

Overview

When talking about the relationship between religion and flourishing, the first task is to frame the question theologically and philosophically, and this entails taking seriously the potential challenges latent in the issue. These challenges include—beyond the contested definitions of both "religion" and "flourishing"—the claims of some faith traditions that true adherence to that tradition’s goals and intrinsic goods can be incompatible with self-interest, and also the fact that religious definitions of health and wholeness tend to be less concrete than secular definitions. Despite the difficulties, research that considers uniquely religious aspects of human flourishing is essential, as scholars pursue even greater methodological rigor in future investigations of causal connections.

Religion and Human Flourishing brings together scholars of various specializations to consider how theological and philosophical perspectives might shape such future research, and how such research might benefit religious communities. The first section of the book takes up the foundational theological and philosophical questions. The next section turns to the empirical dimension and encompasses perspectives ranging from anthropology to psychology. The third and final section of the book follows in the empirical mold by moving to more sociological and economic levels of analysis. The concluding reflection offers a survey of what the social scientific research reveals about both the positive and negative effects of religion.

Scholars and laypeople alike are interested in religion, and many more still are interested in how to lead a meaningful life—how to flourish. The collaborative undertaking represented by  Religion and Human Flourishing will further attest to the perennial importance of the questions of religious belief and the pursuit of the good life, and will become a standard for further exploration of such questions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481312851
Publisher:	Baylor University Press
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Pages:	245
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.96(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Adam B. Cohen is Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Adam B. Cohen
Part 1
1 Meanings and Dimensions of Flourishing
A Programmatic Sketch
Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Linz
2 Virtues, Vices, and the Good Life
A Theologian’s Perspective on Compassion and Violence
Celia Deane-Drummond
3 Status Viatoris and the Path Quality of Religion
Human Flourishing as a Sacred Process of Becoming
Jonathan Rowson
4 Spiritual Well-Being and Human Flourishing
Conceptual, Causal, and Policy Relations
Tyler J. VanderWeele
Part 2
5 Religion and Human Flourishing in the Evolution of Social Complexity
Harvey Whitehouse
6 The Next Generation
Evolutionary Perspectives on Religion and Human Flourishing
Dominic D. P. Johnson
7 Religions Help Us Trust One Another
Adam B. Cohen
8 Religion’s Contribution to Prosociality
Azim F. Shariff
Part 3
9 Religion’s Contribution to Population Health
Key Theoretical and Methodological Considerations
Christopher G. Ellison
10 Offender-Led Religious Movements
Identity Transformation, Rehabilitation, and Justice System Reform
Byron R. Johnson
11 Some Big-Data
Lessons about Religion and Human Flourishing
David G. Myers
12 Smart and Spiritual
The Coevolution of Religion and Rationality
Laurence R. Iannaccone
13 The Economics of Religion in Developing Countries
Sriya Iyer
14 On Balance
Azim F. Shariff

What People are Saying About This

Philip Clayton

The question of human flourishing immediately provokes interest—who doesn’t want to flourish, especially when we read that the hallmark of flourishing is joy? Flourishing, one learns, encompasses what we do, what happens to us, and how we feel. No collection in recent years looks more deeply at the fascinating question of what  religion contributes to human flourishing. Beautifully balancing the positives and the negatives, this volume manages to shed light in  both directions―what flourishing entails, and how religion contributes to it.

Deirdre Nansen McCloskey

Humans seek the transcendent, whether in art or baseball or God, as the papers in this splendid conversation acknowledge and explore. Theologians, sociologists, economists, and psychologists converse here with mutual respect and reciprocal enlightenment. In a world under challenge, it’s the way forward, scientifically and spiritually.

Ron Cole-Turner

Does religion enrich human life? Is it a key ingredient to a life well lived? Religion and Human Flourishing explores these questions with the latest tools of the social sciences. By cross-examining the evidence, the authors show religion is not as destructive as some claim and not as beneficial as others hope. This book avoids simplistic claims devoid of evidence. It offers an invitation to the rigorous process of teasing out tentative conclusions that will generate new studies and provoke new debates. In the balance hangs a question that could hardly be more profound or more urgent for our common future.​

Editorial Reviews

A strength of this volume is the diversity of methodologies, empirical data and perspectives presented. Another strength is information about the forms of religion and theologies that encourage and support human flourishing. For theological educators, this is useful information as they build their curricula and market their programmes.

Modern Believing - Barbara J. McClure