Religion in Psychodynamic Perspective: The Contributions of Paul W. Pruyser

by P. W. Pruyser, H. Newton Malony (Editor), Bernard Spilka (Editor)

Overview

At his death in 1987, Paul W. Pruyser of the Menninger Foundation was widely recognized as one of America's foremost authorities on the psychology of religion. His book A Dynamic Psychology of Religion set the stage for creative dialogue on the subject. In this volume, two leading practitioners in the field present a compilation of Pruyser's seminal articles, providing an overview of the major themes in Pruyser's thought. Newton Malony and Bernard Spilka evaluate Pruyser's viewpoint and suggest how his position continues to influence the psychology of religion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195362817
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	08/15/1991
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	400 KB

About the Author

Fuller Theological Seminary

University of Denver

Table of Contents

1.	An Appreciation of Paul Pruyser	3
I.	Introduction	21
2.	A Psychological View of Religion in the 1970s	23
II.	Contemporary Religious Beliefs	45
3.	The Seamy Side of Current Religious Beliefs	47
4.	Narcissism in Contemporary Religion	66
III.	Religious Function	83
5.	Religion in the Psychiatric Hospital: A Reassessment	85
6.	Anxiety, Guilt, and Shame in the Atonement	99
IV.	Methods for Studying Religion	117
7.	Assessment of the Patient's Religious Attitudes in the Psychiatric Case Study	119
8.	Psychoanalytic Method in the Stud" of Religious Meanings	141
V.	Religious Dynamics	153
9.	Psychological Roots and Branches of Belief	155
10.	Forms and Functions of the Imagination in Religion	170
VI.	Conclusion	189
11.	Where Do We Go From Here? Scenarios for the Psychology of Religion	191
12.	The Pruyser Legacy for the Psychology of Religion	205
	Bibliography of the Writings of Paul W. Pruyser, Ph.D.	217
	Index	227

Editorial Reviews

"A welcome addition to the literature on psychoanalysis and religion. Pruyser would have to be ranked among the major contributors to the dialogue between religion and psychology in our time."—Theological Studies

"A most valuable insight into psychological aspects of religious experience and religious function, and future prospects for the psychological study of religion."—Church Times

"His chief contribution in these essays is to be found in his exposition of the pertinence of psychoanalysis to a critical review of religious phenomena. This is no small achievement, because the ignorance of psychoanalysts on matters of religion is only equalled by the ignorance of psychoanalysis on the part of the faithful. Both might profit from Pruyser's conscientious inquiries."—Psychoanalytic Quarterly

"Dr. Pruyser was one of the foremost contemporary contributors to the psychology of religion; and clinical psychologist that he was, his work was of interest far beyond the relatively small circle of persons actively interested in the psychology of religion. This collection of papers will certainly have immediate appeal to a variety of audiences."—David Wulff, Wheaton College

"Simply put, there is no person who was held in more esteem in the psychodynamic study of religion than Paul Pruyser. His work is of immense and continuing importance."—Ralph Hood, University of Tennessee

From the Publisher