This study sought to determine the influence of pretherapy religious value information upon potential clients' (a) perceptions of a counselor, (b) willingness to see a counselor and (c) confidence of counselor helpfulness. Two hundred and ten undergraduate college students volunteered for the study. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups and given varying amounts and types of written information about a counselor. Group 1 received just the counselor's credentials. Group 2 received the same information plus statements about the counselor's beliefs about counseling and his therapeutic approach. Group 3 received the same information as group 2 plus a statement of the counselor's religious values. Subjects then viewed a short video tape of the counselor in a counseling session. Results of statistical treatment of dependent variables indicated that subjects' perceptions of the counselor, willingness to see the counselor, and confidence of counselor helpfulness were not influenced by the written information, including the statement of religious values that the subjects received before viewing the video tape of the counselor. Implications and recommendations for further research are discussed.

Religion and spirituality are vital aspects of many people’s lives both in the United States and across the globe. Although many constructs and measures exist to describe and assess the experience of pursuing the sacred, the complexity of religious and spiritual experience leads to mixed results in relation to well-being and psychopathological traits. However, in broad terms, the relationship appears positive. Over the past 30 years the need for more refined and useful approaches to the study of religious and spiritual behavior has been repeatedly acknowledged. Although authors wisely caution development of further measures without due cause, extant constructs and measures do not provide clear and consistent results for understanding the influence of one’s relationships to religion and spirituality upon behaviors of clinical interest. The present project drew from the functional contextual concept of psychological flexibility, which provides clarity to understanding the encouragement and maintenance of psychological well-being. A new construct of religious and psychological flexibility is explicated as a functional approach to understanding religious and spiritual behavior in a manner that is useful in research and clinical settings alike. The development and evaluation of the Measure of Religious and Spiritual Flexibility (MRSF) is described. The MRSF evidenced adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis results were positive, but indicate further refinement. Analyses suggested good construct validity of the MRSF in relation to psychological well-being and psychopathology; construct validity in relation to extant constructs in the psychology of religion was varied. Implications and future directions are discussed.

This study examined the relationship between the religious orientation quest and well-being using the 1998 General Social Survey. In addition to the religious orientation quest the extrinsic and intrinsic religious orientations were also investigated. Analysis of the data indicated that there was a slight negative association between quest and general well-being, while also demonstrating a strong positive association between quest and inner peace. These results underscore the supposition that quest is an orientation that is complex and ultimately deserves further attention.

This diploma thesis aims for broad issue religious conversion especially in the case of the Apostle Paul. It is psychological and theological reflection of his conversion to Christianity, as described by the canonical New Testament texts. The forepartof the thesis reports theoretically into the location of the conversion of the Apostle Paul in the Acts of the Apostles and Paul's epistles. For the purpose of this diploma thesis the author describes briefly hagiotherapy method, a technique that combines knowledge of psychology and theology. The author focuses on the psychological perspective on religious conversion, its history and current state of research. The closing section of the thesis combines views of psychology and theology. Special attention aims at Paul's personality, which is described with the help of psychological terminology. Keywords: Religious conversion, The Apostle Paul, psychology of religion, hagiotherapy.

Esta pesquisa de doutorado é uma investigação em psicologia social sobre a produção da subjetividade eclesiástica, tal como ela se processa na instituição seminário católico. Utilizando o instrumental teórico da análise institucional com base em Baremblitt, Foucault, Goffman e Costa-Rosa, mapeamos os operadores institucionais subjetivadores do dispositivo pedagógico \"seminário\", enfocando tanto suas relações de poder quanto seus aspectos místicos, atentos às dimensões instituintes e instituídas. Nosso campo de pesquisa é um seminário católico diocesano de teologia, onde vivem 50 seminaristas em regime de internato, na etapa final de preparação para o sacerdócio, os quais, uma vez ordenados, passarão a ocupar posições de relevância que consistem na coordenação de comunidades paroquiais amplas. Os dados foram obtidos através da observação do cotidiano institucional e de entrevistas semidirigidas com os diversos atores institucionais. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a formação do clero pode ser considerada como um domínio ainda flutuante, constituindo um campo de noções conexas que reconhecemos como sendo pertinentes aos saberes pedagógicos, psicológicos e teológicos. Há uma grande desconexão entre o contrato simbólico plasmado nos projetos e programas e a implementação concreta de operadores outros no dia-a-dia, produtores de efeitos diversos. A formação sacerdotal não seria regida pelos projetos oficiais, pela teologia da vocação ou pela teologia da espiritualidade, mas parece ser improvisada e fortemente condicionada pela realidade econômica precária das dioceses que mantêm o estabelecimento. As diversas correntes teológicas e espirituais parecem ter menos incidência na formação dos seminaristas (embora a dimensão acadêmica ocupe um espaço relevante no processo), do que os diversos rituais de passagem que transformam um candidato leigo em sacerdote católico: rito de admissão oficial como seminarista diocesano, ritos de instituição dos ministérios de leitor e acólito, rito de ordenação diaconal e, finalmente, o rito de ordenação sacerdotal. Há o desconhecimento e a denegação da dimensão totalitária e disciplinar do seminário teológico. O modo de funcionamento hegemônico do seminário seria o asilar ou conventual, baseado no enclausuramento, na tutela completa da existência do candidato ao sacerdócio, na vivência grupal e no panoptismo, atraído pela força gravitacional do paradigma tridentino. Concluímos que o atual formato do seminário teológico seria promotor de um padre fortemente clericalizado, com tendências ao autoritarismo e à centralização de poder. Provavelmente seria difícil que pudesse produzir um padre orientado pelo paradigma libertador, capaz de implementar as práticas desse modelo. Em termos de seus efeitos éticos, esse seminário estaria produzindo uma subjetividade serializada, submetida e alinhada com a manutenção do status quo eclesial e social. Parece que os futuros padres egressos da formação aí desenvolvida apresentariam uma tendência preponderante para \"funcionários do sagrado\", mais do que para \"profetas libertadores\". / This doctorate research is an investigation in Social Psychology about the ecclesiastical subjectivity production, as it is processed in a Catholic Seminary. Using the theoretical tool of institutional analysis based on Baremblitt, Foucault, Goffman and Costa-Rosa, we mapped the institutional operators that subjectivate the pedagogical device, the Seminary, focusing both their power relations and their mystical aspects, attentive to establishing and established dimensions. Our research field is a Catholic Diocesan Theological Seminary, where 50 seminarians live in boarding system, in final stage of preparation to priesthood; once ordained, they will be settled in relevant positions concerned to coordinate large parish communities. The data were obtained by observing the institutional daily life and by semidirected interviews with the diverse institutional actors. The outcomes indicated that ecclesiastical formation can be considered as a yet floating domain, composing a field of connected notions that we recognized as being pertaining to pedagogical, psychological and theological knowledge. There is a remarkable disconnection between the symbolical pact mould in projects and programs and the real implementation of other day-by-day operators: productors of diverse effects. The priest formation would not be led by official projects, by theological vocation nor by theological spirituality, but it seems to be improvised and strongly conditioned to dioceses\'s economical and precarious reality which maintains the establishment. The manifold theological and spiritual tendencies seem to be less incident in Seminarians formation (though academical dimension plays a great role in the process), than the rituals of passage which transform a candidate layman in a Catholic priest: rite of admission to candidacy as a Diocesan Seminarian, rites of institution in the ministries of reader and acolyte, rite of diaconal ordination and, finally, the rite of priestly ordination. There is neither recognition nor admission of totalitarian and disciplinary dimension by Theological Seminary. The homogeneous way of functioning of the Seminary would be retreat or conventual, based on enclosurement, thorough tutorship of candidate\'s existence to priesthood, on group livelihood and panoptism, attracted by gravitational force of Tridentine paradigm. We concluded that the actual format of the Theological Seminary would promote a priest strongly ecclesiastical, with tendencies to authoritarianism and to power centralization. Probably it would be difficult to come to produce a priest oriented to the liberator paradigm, able to implement practices from such model. In terms of ethical effects, this seminary would be producing a serialized subjectivity, subdued and aligned to the maintenance of ecclesiastical and social status quo. It seems that the future priest from such developed formation would present a major tendency to \"sacred servants\" more than to \"liberator prophets\".

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:37:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Oyama Bragsa Martins Netto.pdf: 449472 bytes, checksum: 38bc7a606c1696b01a2ebb19fd846819 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-05-27 / This thesis was born from questions about religion and clinical service developed inside the State of Amazonas, where a few professionals in the region want to act because of precarious conditions of these places or the near absence of specific subsidies that can help professionals in the clinical work performed on a oriented to this population. The study objective was to understand meanings of the feast of St. Christopher in the local culture, in order to contribute to the clinical care of the population of Amazonas. The work focuses on the city of Amaturá, located in the Alto Solimões region, at the extremity southwestern state of Amazonas, is 1200 km from the capital. The religiousness of this region is represented here by the traditional festivity of St. Christopher, patron saint of the city that allows the amaturaense live their life, their culture and beliefs provide a mode of internal organization, rooted in earth and in history. The work points to the importance of openness and acceptance of specific religious and cultural content, culture and tradition of Amazonas and in the different states of Brazil into clinical practice / Esta dissertação nasceu de indagações sobre a religiosidade e o atendimento clínico desenvolvido no interior do Estado do Amazonas, onde poucos profissionais da região desejam atuar seja pela precariedade de condições desses locais ou pela quase inexistência de subsídios específicos que possam auxiliá-los no desempenhar de um trabalho clínico voltado a esta população. O objetivo do estudo foi o de compreender sentidos da festa de São Cristóvão na cultura local, com vistas a contribuir para o atendimento clínico da população amazonense. O trabalho focaliza o município de Amaturá, situado na região do Alto Solimões, no estremo sudoeste do Estado do Amazonas, há 1200 km da capital. A religiosidade desta região está aqui representada pelo tradicional festejo de São Cristóvão, padroeiro do município que permite ao amaturaense vivenciar sua vida, sua cultura e suas crenças proporcionando um modo de organização interna, enraizamento na terra e na história. O trabalho realizado aponta para a importância da abertura e do acolhimento dos conteúdos religiosos e culturais específicos, da cultura e tradição do Amazonas e dos diferentes estados do País dentro da prática clínica

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:37:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Anselmo Matias Limberger.pdf: 909145 bytes, checksum: df43b3b6907d918c3add46fabd192fab (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-05-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / From a phenomenological perspective, the goal in this thesis is to comprehend the meanings of the volunteering experience in a religious institution according to the volunteers. To achieve that goal, the Catholic perspective on volunteerism was outlined, as well as how the volunteering is organized in the Santuário Theotókos. A thorough study over a collaborator who works in the Santuário Theotókos for fourteen years was conducted. The interview was taped, transcribed, synthesized, analyzed and discussed from the phenomenological-psychology approach. The case analysis allowed recognizing the meanings of acceptance experience, belonging, life review, willingness to serve, support, strengthening of identity, among others. The understanding of the case study permitted the creation of growth groups in order to facilitate the volunteering at the Santuário Theotókos and to reflect on the meaning of their own experiences while performing volunteer work focusing on their growth, on the volunteering organization and on its monitoring / Em uma perspectiva fenomenológica, o objetivo nessa tese é buscar compreender os sentidos da experiência do trabalho dos voluntários em uma instituição religiosa, para quem os executa. Para atingi-lo, identifica-se o modo de compreender o servir na perspectiva católica e o modo como o trabalho voluntário é organizado no Santuário Theotókos. Foi realizado o estudo aprofundado de uma colaboradora que trabalha no Santuário Theotókos há catorze anos. A entrevista foi gravada, transcrita, sintetizada, analisada e discutida na abordagem da psicologia fenomenológica. A análise do caso permitiu reconhecer os sentidos da experiência de acolhimento, da pertença, de re-visão da própria vida, de disponibilidade para servir, de sustentação e fortalecimento da identidade, entre outros. A compreensão do caso estudado permitiu propor a realização de grupos de crescimento, para facilitar aos que realizam serviço voluntário no Santuário Theotókos, refletir sobre o sentido de suas experiências ao realizarem esse trabalho, visando seu crescimento, a organização do voluntariado e o seu acompanhamento

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:37:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Neuza Botelho dos Santos.pdf: 758591 bytes, checksum: 96b5767c3285d8c0118a871ce87b2181 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-11-04 / The following essay aims the comprehension about the religious coping dealt upon migration. The phenomenological approach was chosen to reach its conclusions. From the current migratory reality, the possibility of religious coping was raised, considering the events of the migration process. The functions of religion were focused in the referred context. Up next, based on Pargament‟s studies upon the religious coping, it proceeds to the analysis of a report based on a migrant woman‟s experience. The results point the several religious practices that shall be proven effective on the field of religious coping in the referred situation. In that sense, it‟s verified the relation with sacred values, the insertion and communion in religious groups. Besides the solidarity and sharing of the same beliefs and values, possible resources become available for a migrant on the coping of issues found in his path, therefore providing help in finding a new meaning to his own experience / Este trabalho tem o objetivo de compreender como se dá o enfrentamento religioso em situação de migração. Para tanto se utilizou o método fenomenológico. A partir da realidade migratória, levantou-se a possibilidade do enfrentamento religioso, considerando as vicissitudes do processo de migração. Foram enfocadas as funções da religião no referido contexto. Em seguida, baseando-se nos estudos de Pargament sobre o enfrentamento religioso, procedeu-se à análise do relato da experiência de uma migrante. Os resultados apontam as diversas práticas religiosas que podem ser eficazes no campo do enfrentamento em situação de migração. Neste sentido observa-se como a relação com o sagrado, a inserção e a participação em grupos religiosos, além da solidariedade e da partilha das mesmas crenças e valores, se revelam possíveis recursos para o migrante no enfrentamento das dificuldades encontradas em sua trajetória, ajudando-o, assim, a dar um novo significado às próprias experiências

This mixed method study, aims to first, explore the meaning, role, and purpose of religion and spirituality for people convicted of sexual offending. Exploration of their religious and spiritual experiences during periods of offending, incarceration, and desistance from offending, were examined through qualitative in-depth interviews and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Participants were drawn from prison and community populations. The second phase of the study examined the official risk management process of people convicted of sexual offending. In an effort to understand the extent to which criminal-justice practitioners utilised religious and spiritual communities during the risk-management process; 217 risk management plans were analysed. Results from the first phase of the research suggest that engaging and being affiliated with a religious or spiritual group might: foster the conditions needed to assist the desistance process; provide a context and language for developing non-offending identities; assist with a sense of belonging; help develop hope and manage negative emotions. Unexpectedly, findings from the second phase of the research demonstrated little evidence of practitioners using community groups or religious or spiritual activities as protective factors or supportive mechanisms in the formal risk-management process.

This study set out to take a definitive look at African Caribbean entrepreneurship by delineating the broad spectrum of historical and contemporary theories of ethnic entrepreneurship. It also looked in particular on the phenomenon of African Caribbean entrepreneurship through the lens of Pentecostalism, which is the most popular religious expression of African Caribbean peoples in the UK. The extent to which the socio‐cultural and psycho‐religious underpinnings of the African Caribbean person are amenable to entrepreneurial engagement was also subjected to analysis. This analysis focused on themes and perspectives, which are general to African Caribbean experience – individual, family and community. They were presented as age, gender or sex, education, family structure, motivation, and funding of entrepreneurial ventures. Also in connection with these were a number of factors, which operate at the nexus of African Caribbean Pentecostalism and entrepreneurship. These include historical antecedents, socioeconomic situations up to the 1950s, the ambiguity of Scriptures towards wealth as well as the impact of the psychology of time on the African Caribbean mind. All these provide a framework in which the existential and transcendental interact in the community of faith.