Psychological Characteristics of Pentecostals: A Literature Review and Psychodynamic Synthesis

Abstract

This article extends previous literature reviews on Pentecostalism by inclusion of studies from 1976–1985 as well as earlier studies. Psychometric and nonpsychometric investigations are considered separately. These data are then synthesized as one approach to an integration of findings that reflect a variety of nonconsensual theoretical premises. Consistently replicated psychological constructs are described, and therapeutic effects of Pentecostal psychodynamics is proposed which includes repression, regresson, and emotional release mechanisms.

Self-chosen involvement in new religious movements (NRMs): well-being and mental health from a longitudinal perspective

“…Bergman, 1996;Saliba, 1993), other research on the movements does not support these conclusions. Studies on Pentecostalism point to potentially positive aspects of involvement like mood-lifting effects of Pentecostal music and emotional release during religious practice (e.g., Gritzmacher, Bolton, & Dana, 1988;Miller & Strongman, 2002). For Jehovah's Witnesses, Besier and Besier (2001) found that most members who participated in a survey in Germany reported that they did not experience any negative effects of membership, but that becoming acquainted with the group helped them to cope with a diversity of problems.…”

Religious Involvement, Stress, and Mental Health: Findings from the 1995 Detroit Area Study

“…These routine affirmations of faith may be crucial for strengthening personal religious plausibility structures, through which significance and meaning may be ascribed to mundane daily affairs and major life traumas alike (Antonovsky 1987;Ellison 1991;Idler 1987). In addition, some observers suspect that specific mental health benefits may be associated with certain worship styles, such as those that involve singing, shouting, and physical activity and those that encourage emotional catharsis (Gilkes 1980;Griffith, Young & Smith 1984;Gritzmacher, Bolton & Dana 1988). A better understanding of the salutary effects of church attendance, and the impact of institutional contexts on these patterns, should be an urgent priority for researchers in the future.…”

“…In particular, in these supplementary analyses we separated members of African American Protestant churches (a large share of our conservative Protestant category) from other evangelicals. In addition, given the literature on possibly cathartic effects of (regular) participation in ecstatic worship services (e.g., Gritzmacher, Bolton & Dana 1988), to the extent allowed by the DAS-95 data we also distinguished between charismatics (e.g., Pentecostals, Assemblies of God, Churches of God) and other evangelicals and fundamentalists. Unfortunately, the DAS-95 denominational categories are limited in some respects, and they do not permit us to make fine-grained distinctions within some Protestant categories (e.g., between Evangelical Lutheran Church in America members and Missouri Synod Lutherans), between various Baptist denominations, between members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and other Presbyterians, and so on.…”

Does Religion Buffer the Effects of Discrimination on Mental Health? Differing Effects by Race

“…3 3 It should also be noted that some have pointed out that African‐American religious services sometimes have an ecstatic quality (e.g., Nelson 1996), and others have suggested that ecstatic experiences may provide a means of emotional release (Gritzmacher, Bolton, and Dana 1988), thus indicating another way in which religious services may better help African Americans cope with discrimination. …”