Sociological Analysis of Religion and Peace of Mind in the Light of the William James School of Thought

Subject Areas : Social Science Quarterly

abbas izadpanah ¹ , marzeyeh dastmard ²

1 - Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Qom University, Qom, Iran
2 - Department of Philosophy of Islamic Theology, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Qom University, Iran

Received: 2019-06-29 Accepted : 2019-12-19 Published : 2019-11-22

Keywords: psychology, theology, Epistemology, William James,

Abstract :

Psychology of religion, an interdisciplinary field between psychology and theology, is a new science that explains and describes religious experiences, attitudes, and behaviors from a psychological perspective. This knowledge began in the late nineteenth century and was consolidated in three traditions: English, American, German and French. The hallmark of the American tradition, which is based on empiricism and the use of examples and objective cases and statistical descriptions, is the well-known functionalist philosopher and psychologist, William James, who empirically analyzes the psychological state of religion. Believing in the final evaluation of an idea or experience by examining the outcome and extent of benefits in life, he relies on two criteria: compatibility with the correct assumptions and principles, as well as intuition and introspection as the main and most reliable research tools. James seeks to examine religion in terms of human life, actions, and experiences, and for this purpose uses the term religious experience. William James also believes that emotions are the most constant and fundamental elements, and that religion is essentially a category of emotion. In his view, religious experience is an experience that the actor understands as religious. In this sense, religion is the feelings, actions, and experiences of individuals alone in the face of what they consider sacred. In this regard, in order to better understand James' views on religion, the present article seeks to examine the relationship between religion and peace of mind. Is in the William James School of Thought.