Aspects of religion: Degree, domain, and context

Abstract

On the basis of a probability sample (N = 729) of residents of Townsville (Australia) the phenomenon of “religion” is analysed by distinguishing among degree, domain and context of religion. All three aspects as well as their interactions are found necessary to capture an adequate understanding of religion. The results question a large number of prevailing stereotypes about religion and suggest that religion is not necessarily on the wane but is in the process of being redefined.

Religious issues in counselling: are Australian psychologists “dragging the chain”?

“…2 A search of the titles and abstracts of all of the articles that have appeared in the Australian Journal of Psychology and the Australian Psychologist from 1980 to June 2002 revealed only 14 articles that have mentioned religion, religiosity, or related variables. 3 One of these articles looked specifically at different aspects of religion (Grichting, 1987), one involved a discourse analysis of women's accounts of spirituality (Coombes & Morgan, 2001), two briefly mentioned religious groups or spiritual domains in discussions of euthanasia (Allen, 1998;Sanson et al, 1998), two used Catholic participants in their samples (Haines, Jackson, & Davidson, 1983;Moulds & McCabe, 1991), and seven included measures of religiosity or religious orientation (Craddock, 1991;Forgas & Jolliffe, 1994;Grichting, 1986;Griffiths, Dixon, Stanley, & Weiland, 2001;Larsen, 1981;Parnicky, Williams, & Silva, 1985;Woodward, Carless, & Findlay, 2001). No studies specifically focused on religious issues in counselling, though Larner (2001) mentioned spirituality as one of a number of contextual variables that therapists should consider.…”