Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Religious Experience in a Cross-Cultural and Interfaith Context: Limitations and Possibilities

  • Published:
Pastoral Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Religious experience is a multifaceted aspect of an individual’s experience involving conscious and unconscious components. Individuals, for example, maintain varied ideas of God at different levels of awareness and consciousness, all of which contribute to their broader experience of God. This paper focuses primarily on complex theistic experiences of God, their relationship to psychological and spiritual health, and how these experiences can be changed through psychological intervention. Consideration is also given to ethical issues and other implications of changing one’s religious experience.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. I am aware, however, of a number of studies currently being conducted in the Middle East attempting to replicate in Muslim countries research that has been conducted in the United States with Christian samples. Additionally, several colleagues and I are currently working on a qualitative research project on religious experience across cultures and religions, with participants in China, Singapore, India, and the United States.

References

  • Beck, R., & McDonald, A. (2004). Attachment to God: The Attachment to God Inventory, tests of working model correspondence, and an exploration of faith group differences. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 32, 92–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brokaw, B. F., & Edwards, K. J. (1994). The relationship of God image to level of object relations development. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 22, 352–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doehring, C. (2007). A liberal protestant pastoral theological approach and the god image: The role of God images in recovery from sexual and physical abuse. In G. L. Moriarty and L. Hoffman (Eds.). God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Research, theory, and practice (pp. 211-226). New York, NY: Haworth.

  • Fehl, S., Suri, R. & Hoffman, L. (2010). Toward a culturally and religiously competent God image therapy. Poster session presented at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, San Diego, CA.

  • Freud, S. (1913/1950). Moses and monotheism (Trans. K. Jones). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

  • Freud, S. (1927/1961). The future of an illusion (Trans. J. Strachey). New York: Norton & Company.

  • Gibson, N. J. S. (2007). Measurement issues in God image research and practice. In G. L. Moriarty & L. Hoffman (Eds.), The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Research, theory, and practice (pp. 227–246). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimes, C. S. M. (2007). God image research: A literature review. In G. L. Moriarty & L. Hoffman (Eds.), The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Research, theory, and practice (pp. 11–32). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, T. W. (2004). Christian spirituality and mental health: A relational spirituality framework for empirical research. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 23, 66–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, T.W., Halcrow, S., Hill, P.C., & Delney, H. (2005). Internal working model correspondence in implicit spiritual experiences. Paper presented at the 113th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

  • Hoffman, L. (2007). Existential perspectives on God image theory and practice. In G. L. Moriarty & L. Hoffman (Eds.), The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 105–137). Haworth Press.

  • Hoffman, L. (2008). An existential approach to working with religious and spiritual clients. In K. Schneider (Ed.), Existential-integrative psychotherapy: Guideposts to the core of practice (pp. 187–202). New York: Routledge Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, L. (2009). Introduction to existential psychotherapy in a cross-cultural context: An East-West dialogue. In L. Hoffman, M. Yang, F. J. Kaklauskas, & A. Chan (Eds.), Existential psychology East-West (pp. 1–67). Colorado Springs, CO: University of the Rockies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, L., Jones, T.T., Williams, F., & Dillard, K. (2004). The God image, the God concept, and attachment. Paper presented at the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) International Conference, St. Petersburg, FL.

  • Hoffman, L., Grimes, C.S.M., & Acoba, R. (2005). Research on the God image: Rethinking epistemological assumptions. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Rochester, NY.

  • Hoffman, L., Knight, S., Boscoe-Huffman, S., & Stewart, S. (2007). Implication of diversity for the God image. In G. L. Moriarty & L. Hoffman (Eds.), The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 257–279). New York: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, L., Hoffman, J. L., Dillard, K., Clark, J., Acoba, R., Williams, F., et al. (2008). Diversity and the God image: Examining ethnic differences in the experience of God for a college-age population. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 36, 26–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, L., Stewart, S., Warren, D., & Meek, L. (2009). Toward a sustainable myth of self: An existential response to the postmodern condition. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 49, 135–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, L., Hoffman, J. L., Hoffman, J. L. S., & Cleare-Hoffman, H. P. (2010). Culture, religion, and spirituality: How spirituality saved religion. In J. H. Ellens (Ed.), The healing power of spirituality: How faith helps humans thrive (Vol. 2: Religion; pp. 191–206). Westport, CT: Praeger.

  • Hoffman, L., Moriarty, G., & Williamson, N. (2010). The dynamics of religious experience and psychological health: An existential-psychodynamic perspective. In J. H. Ellens (Ed.), The healing power of spirituality: How faith helps humans thrive (Vol. 3: Psychodynamics; pp. 147–170). Westport, CT: Praeger.

  • Johnson, B. (2007). Rational emotive behavior therapy and the God image. In G. L. Moriarty & L. Hoffman (Eds.), The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Research, theory, and practice (pp. 157–181). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J. W. (2007). Psychodynamic theories of the evolution of the God image. In G. L. Moriarty & L. Hoffman (Eds.), The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Research, theory, and practice (pp. 33–55). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R. T. (1997). Measuring the image of God: The God Image Inventory and the God Image Scales. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 25, 214–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, A., Beck, R., Allison, S., & Norsworthy, L. (2005). Attachment to God and parents: Testing the correspondence and compensation hypotheses. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 24, 21–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moriarty, G. L. (2006). Pastoral care of depression: Helping clients heal their relationship with God. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moriarty, G. L. (2007). Time-limited dynamic psychotherapy and the God image. In G. L. Moriarty & L. Hoffman (Eds.), The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Research, theory, and practice (pp. 79–104). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moriarty, G. L., & Hoffman, L. (2007a). Introduction and overview. In G. L. Moriarty & L. Hoffman (Eds.), The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Theory, research, and practice. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moriarty, G. L., & Hoffman, L. (Eds.). (2007b). The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Research, theory, and practice. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noffke, J. L., & Hall, T. W. (2007). Attachment psychotherapy and God image. In G. L. Moriarty & L. Hoffman (Eds.), The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Research, theory, and practice (pp. 57–78). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Grady, K., & Richards, P. S. (2007). Theistic psychotherapy and the God image. In G. L. Moriarty & L. Hoffman (Eds.), The God image handbook for spiritual counseling and psychotherapy: Research, theory, and practice (pp. 183–209). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R.L., & Mukller, J. (2006). Are God image and God concept redundant constructs? Poster session presented at the 2006 annual convention of the american psychological association, New Orleans, LA.

  • Richards, P. S., & Bergin, A. E. (2005). A spiritual strategy for counseling and psychotherapy (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rizzuto, A. M. (1979). The birth of the living God: A psychoanalytic study. Chicago: University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothberg, D. (1993). The crisis of modernity and the emergence of socially engaged spirituality. ReVision, 15(3), 105–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, K. J. (Ed.). (2008). Existential-integrative psychotherapy: Guideposts to the core of practice. New York: Routledge Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorenson, R. L. (2004). Minding spirituality. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spero, M. H. (1992). Religious objects as psychological structures: A critical integration of object relations theory, psychotherapy, and Judaism. Chicago: University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tillich, P. (1957). The dynamics of faith. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tisdale, T. C. (1997). A comparison of Jewish, Muslim and Protestant faith groups on the relationship between level of object relations development and experience of God and self. Ph.D. dissertation, Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University, La Mirada, CA. Retrieved from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text (Publication No. AAT 9810887).

  • Tisdale, T. C., Key, T. L., Edwards, K. J., Brokaw, B. F., Kemperman, S. R., & Cloud, H. (1997). Impact of God image and personal adjustment, and correlations of God image to personal adjustment and object relations development. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 25, 227–239.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Saybrook University, 747 Front St., 3rd Fl, San Francisco, CA, 94111, USA

    Louis Hoffman

Authors
  1. Louis Hoffman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Louis Hoffman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hoffman, L. Religious Experience in a Cross-Cultural and Interfaith Context: Limitations and Possibilities. Pastoral Psychol 61, 809–822 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-011-0394-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-011-0394-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation