Psychology of Religion
The scientific study of religious experience, belief, and practice reveals the depth and universality of human religiosity—and its profound benefits for human flourishing.
Benefits of Religion
Research consistently shows positive correlations between religiosity and well-being. Religious people are happier, healthier, and live longer than their secular counterparts.
This is not merely correlation. Longitudinal studies show that religious practice causes improved outcomes. If religion were false, why would it produce such benefits? Perhaps because we are made for relationship with God.
- Mental Health: Religious practice correlates with lower depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Faith provides coping resources, social support, and meaning.
- Physical Health: Religious involvement correlates with longevity—adding 7-14 years of life expectancy. Better health behaviors, social support, and stress reduction contribute.
- Meaning and Purpose: Religion provides frameworks for meaning that secular alternatives struggle to match. Viktor Frankl showed that meaning is essential for human flourishing.
- Prosocial Behavior: Religious people give more to charity, volunteer more, and show greater civic engagement. Faith motivates service to others.
Explaining Religion
Various theories attempt to explain religion—but none eliminates its truth claims. Explaining how we form beliefs doesn't show those beliefs are false.
The genetic fallacy confuses the origin of a belief with its truth. Even if we can explain why people believe in God, this doesn't show God doesn't exist. Indeed, if God exists, we would expect humans to have cognitive tendencies toward theism.
- Cognitive Science: Explaining how we form religious beliefs doesn't show they're false. We can explain how we form perceptual beliefs too—but perception is reliable.
- Evolutionary Psychology: Even if religion evolved, it may track truth—like our perceptual faculties. Evolution selects for survival, but survival often requires truth-tracking.
- Proper Function: If God exists, religious cognition may be functioning as designed. Plantinga's Reformed Epistemology shows how theistic belief can be properly basic.
- The Genetic Fallacy: Explaining why someone believes X doesn't show X is false. The origin of a belief is distinct from its truth. Debunking arguments often commit this fallacy.