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Index of Psychology of Religion Syllabi

Psychologists teach Psychology of Religion courses in a great variety of ways. I established this syllabus exchange in order to illustrate the diversity of courses that are available. If you are a college student, this collection will help you to learn what you may expect in a psychology of religion course. If you are an instructor, you may also get some ideas for your own course. You also will learn a great deal from the reading lists that are part of each syllabus. I only wish that I had the time to sit in on each of these courses! I want to thank each of the people who have shared their expertise. Each of the links leads to a copy of a courses syllabus here on my site. These are now old (dating from the 1994-2004 time when this site was put together) but they may still contain useful ideas for instructors, so they are left here in the archive for your use and enjoyment.

Formatting these documents for the www has changed them from the original, and in cases where I've retyped them from a hard copy, there may be unintentional typographical errors. In some instances, it is easier to read the document if you print it rather than view it on your computer monitor.

First, here is a link to my class page [also circa 2004], where my students can find syllabi and some other materials for my classes that deal with psychology and religion. At this point in time, I have syllabi from two kinds of classes. In my psychology of religion classes, I used the book by Hood, Spilka, Hunsberger and Gorsuch, during the Fall 1999 semester. I have taught the class using books by James and Paloutzian; an example of this is found in my syllabus from the Spring, 1997 Psychology of Religion Course.

I also periodically focus my Experimental Social Psychology course on an aspects of religion. This syllabus from the Spring, 1997 course is an example.

The Syllabi

The syllabi are listed in order of the instructor's last name. The institution, course number and other identifying information are also listed. As you may see, the list is growing. If you teach a course related to psychology and religion, please send me a copy of your syllabus. Contact me for more information!

• Dr. Ricardo Blanco Beledo's Philosophical & JudeoChristian Anthropology course
  Offered at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
  This marks the first Spanish course listed here! The reading list for Dr. Beledo's course will be especially useful if you are interested in Spanish sources on religion, philosophy, anthropology, and their intersection with psychoanalysis.

• Dr. Kevin Byrd's Advanced Seminar: Psychology of Religion
  Offered at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
  Dr. Byrd's course blends more traditional empirical work with transpersonal psychology and Eastern religion for a very interesting overview of the field.

• Dr. Trey Buchanan's History and Systems of Psychology and Integration
  Psyc 711, Fall 1996
  Offered at Wheaton College, Wheaton Illinois
  This course is intended to help clinical psychology graduate students better integrate psychology and Christianity.
  

• Dr. Chris Burris's Psychology of Religious Experience
  Psych 231, Winter 2001
  Offered at St. Jerome's University, Ontario, Canada
  Dr. Burris offers a very rigorous course, emphasizing current research.

  For an earlier version of his course, you may wish to view his Psychology of Religion
  Psyc 485 / RS 490, Spring 1997
  Offered at Christian Brothers University, Memphis Tennessee
  Dr. Burris teaches a solid seminar from a social-psychological perspective.
  

• Dr. Adam Cohen's Psychology and Religion
  Psychology 180G / Religion 241G
  Offered at Dickinson College, Fall 2001
  A course that emphasizes classic and contemporary readings in topics of mutual interest to psychology and religion. This course builds on one he taught at the University of Pennsylvania during the summer 2001 semester.

• Dr. Shannon Hodges' Psychology and Spirituality
  LS 5100, Winter 1999
  Offered at the University of Minnesota at Morris
  A seminar course that draws from the works of James, Jung, and others.
  

• Dr. Harry Hui's Psychology and Religion
  Second Semester 1998/1999
  Offered at the University of Hong Kong
  This course features active student discussion of issues.
  

• Dr. Rhonda Jacobsen's Behavioral Science Seminar
  Offered at Messiah College, Grantham Pennsylvania
  Jacobsen's course emphasizes the dialogue between psychology and religion.
  

• The University of Kent's MA in the Study of Mysticism & Religious Experience
  Seminar leaders: Peter Moore & Leon Schlamm
  University of Kent
  Canterbury, Kent
  CT2 7NZ
  United Kingdom
  This document describes the core course leading to a master's degree in mysticism and religious experience. It is a very impressive program of study, and would be ideal for someone with a serious interested in the subject.

• Dr. Donald McCormick's Psychology and Religion Course
  Religion 260.01, Fall 2000
  Offered at The University of Redlands
  Dr. McCormick's course builds on the course designed by Wilbert McKeachie

• Dr. Susan H. McFadden's Psychology of Religion Course
  86-304, Fall 1996, OR Winter 1998
  Offered at The University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.
  For a strong developmental psychology perspective, see McFadden's 1996 course; in 1998 she modified the course to emphasize how religion relates to coping.
  

• Dr. Wilbert McKeachie's Psychology and Religion Course
  Psych. 313, Winter 1994
  Offered at the University of Michigan
  McKeachie's places a stronger emphasis on Eastern religious traditions than do most courses.
  

• Dr. Gregory Moffat's Psychology of Religion Course
  Psy 497, Spring 1999
  Offered at Atlanta Christian College
  This course emphasizes active student discussion of scientific and Christian ideals.
  

• Dr. Michael Nielsen's Psychology of Religion Courses
  I have tried teaching the course in several different ways. Here is a sample:
• Dr. Michael Nielsen's Psychology of Religion Course, PSYC 3231, Fall 2000
  Offered at Georgia Southern University
  This class was an introduction to the empirical literature, and included a more in-depth examination of cognitive dissonance theory's application to religion.
  

• Dr. Michael Nielsen's Psychology of Religion Course
  Psyc 3231, Fall 1999
  Offered at Georgia Southern University
  In this class I focused more on what current psychological research and theory suggest about religious behavior and thought.
  

• Dr. Michael Nielsen's Psychology of Religion Course
  Psyc 357, Spring 1997
  Offered at Georgia Southern University
  This class conveys both the classic theoretical psychological views on religion as well as more current research on religious behavior and thought.
  

• Dr. Michael Nielsen's Experimental Social Psychology Course
  Psyc 556, Spring 1997
  Offered at Georgia Southern University
  A senior-level course in which students learn about social-psychological research on religious behavior, and then conduct their own projects.
  

• Dr. Elizabeth Weiss-Ozorak's Psychology & Religion Course
  Psychology/Religion 475, Fall 1996, or Spring 1999
  Offered at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania.
  Here you'll find a strong effort to consider not only what psychology says about religion, but also what religion might tell us about psychology. For the Spring 1999 course, Dr. Russell, a colleague in religious studies, joined Dr. Weiss-Ozorak in teaching the course.
  

• Dr. Sharon Packer's Psychology of Religion: New Insights from Social Science and Neuroscience course
  Offered at The New School of Social Research, New York, NY
  Also available electronically, via the internet, to anyone with a computer connection
  This course emphasizes an historical perspective on the field.
  

• Dr. Ray Paloutzian's Psychology of Religion Course
  Fall 1996, or Fall 1999
  Offered at Westmont College
  This class nicely draws together theory and research. His 1999 class includes a good component of the science-religion dialogue.
  

• Dr. Chris Rock's Psychology of Religion Course
  Psychology 350
  First offered Spring 2000 at Concord College, West Virginia
  This course syllabus is temporarily unavailable

• David Smith's Psychology of Religion Course
  Spring 1997
  Offered at St. Xavier University, Chicago, Illinois.
  This class has a good mix of classic and contemporary perspectives.
  

• Dr. Jeremy Zwelling's Psychology and Religion Course
  Reli 293, Fall 1996
  Offered at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut
  This will give you an interesting perspective of psychology and religion from a course taught in a Department of Religion.

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