DOI 10.1007/s11089-011-0372-5
L. R. Rambo (*)
San Francisco Theological Seminary, 105 Seminary Road, San Anselmo, CA 94960, USA
e-mail: lewisrayrambo@yahoo.com
M. S. Haar Farris
5800 Solano Ave., Richmond, CA 94805, USA
e-mail: farrismatt@earthlink.net
More than 100 years after the founding of psychology by Wilhelm Wundt and William
James, we are undertaking a remarkable step in the development of the psychology of
religion; a dedicated group of Chinese and American psychologists are working together to
explore the possibilities of studying one of the most fascinating and complex endeavors
created by human beings: religion and spirituality. Who could have imagined such an
enterprise 20 years ago?
Although Christianity was the dominant religion in the nations that produced psychology
(Germany and the United States), the contemporary world is filled with manifold religious
and spiritual leaders, organizations, ideologies, techniques, and experiences. It is imperative
that psychologists engage these realities with a willingness to embrace new theories,
methods, and strategies to examine, explore, and assess the contours of the religious and
spiritual worlds thriving in the contemporary world (Tweed2006) and (Vasquez 2008).
The purpose of this paper is to provide reflections that will, I hope, encourage
psychologists of religion to embrace an interdisciplinary paradigm for the future.
History of the psychology of religion
From its origins in the nineteenth century to the first decade of the twenty-first century, the
psychology of religion has been a discipline with a complex history of shifting boundaries.
The field of psychology has been from the beginning involved in relationships with various
disciplines. I will advocate the urgent need to move toward an intentional and systemic
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