Jacob A Belzen
Biographic Data
| ID | 125293 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jacob A Belzen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jacob A |
| FAMILY NAME | Belzen |
| SIGNATURE | BELZEN J A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Amsterdam |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 45 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 16 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 43 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1992 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Paradoxes in psychology resonating in its empirical research of religion
As a scientific enterprise, the psychology of religion is vitally dependent on developments in psychology in general, sharing its strengths as well as its weaknesses. The article discusses psychology being haunted by a number of paradoxes that resonate in psychological research on religion as well. As a prominent specimen of such empirical psychology of religion, the oeuvre of R. W. Hood, a well-known contemporary US contributor to that field, is…
What, why and how? Meta-Reflections on Cultural Psychological Approaches to the Scientific Study of Phenomena Called Religious
This deliberately essayistic paper deals with strengths of and limits to cultural psychology, especially in its application to research on religion. It is presented as only one possible approach, composite in itself and drawing on a variety of theories, insights, methods and techniques, but working on one of the fundamental aspects of human psychological functioning, and therefore as indispensable to efforts to explore and understand anything cal…
The Beginning that Was an End
This article, based on extensive empirical research and occasioned by the centennial of both the present journal Archiv für Religionspsychologie (AfRp, Archive for the Psychology of Religion) and its owner, the International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR), deals extensively with the activities in the psychology of religion of Wilhelm Stählin (1883-1975), the prime force behind the IAPR and founding editor of the AfRp. The artic…
The End that Turned into a New Beginning
In 2014, the International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR) will have its centennial, and so will its scientific journal, the present Archive for the Psychology of Religion [ Archiv für Religionspsychologie, ARp ]. This first article on IAPR's (pre)history analyses the fate of the forerunner of ARp, which was published from 1907-1913. When psychology in general began to develop as an empirical, research-based “scientific discipli…
Music and Religion
Criticizing some psychological approaches that speak in too general terms about both music and religion, this article turns to a precise empirical observation and asks what psychology might possibly contribute to its understanding, after first necessarily questioning what terms such as ‘religion’, ‘religious music’, ‘religious experience’ encompass. Given the nature of the leading question, a cultural–psychological approach is chosen. After refut…
Psychology of Religion
Anthropology as a Voyage of Discovery
Religião e Ciências Psicológicas
O artigo traz uma discussão crítica a respeito das relações entre Religião e Ciências Psicológicas. Adotando um sentido científico para a definição de uma e outra, Belzen saúda o crescimento em todo o mundo do interesse pelos estudos da religião e da espiritualidade, mas adverte para a necessidade de se distinguir rigorosamente o que é mera divulgação do que segue os padrões da boa metodologia de pesquisa. Faz também uma distinção entre duas conc…
A Political End to a Pioneering Career
Although forgotten in both Religionswissenschaft (the Science of Religion) and psychology, Marianne Beth (1880-1984), initially trained as a lawyer and already in 1928 called a "leading European woman", must be considered as one of the female pioneers of these fields. She has been active especially in the psychology of religion, a field in which she, together with her husband Karl Beth, founded a research institute, an international organization …
To read and to be read–the problematic nature of communication
This paper primarily contains a reply to critical reflections on Towards cultural psychology of religion as provided in the preceding papers of this special issue
Psychology of religion
After a brief introduction, this paper tries to establish what type of psychology the psychology of religion is. Having introduced cultural psychology in general, some theories applicable in research on religion are presented, and some examples of cultural psychological research of religious phenomena are discussed
Discussing “Towards cultural psychology of religion
Pionierin der Religionspsychologie
This article deals with the contributions to the psychology of religion made by Dr. Marianne Beth (1890-1984), an almost totally forgotten pioneer of the psychology of religion. The article especially contextualizes her initiative to turn “unbelief” into a topic for research in psychology of religion, and describes the tragic end the Nazi reign made to her development and career. Born as the daughter of a prominent Austrian Jewish lawyer living i…
Changing the Scientific Study of Religion
Studying the specificity of spirituality
Psychological research on spirituality need not start from scratch: the psychology of religion provides substantial knowledge and experience that can be drawn on when psychologists want to do research on spirituality. Spirituality, while certainly not identical with religion or religiosity, is a human phenomenon to which many methodological insights from the study of religion may be applied, although it is also a domain where many mistakes from t…
The Dynamics of Becoming a Psychologist of Religion
This paper offers a psychobiographical study of the connection between the life and work of Heije Faber (1907-2001), the internationally best known Dutch psychologist of religion. Initially, Faber studied theology, qualifying in philosophy of religion; in later years, he studied psychology (second doctorate: 1956). As a politically active pastor, he had to hide from the Nazi-occupation of The Netherlands during World War II. In 1970 he became the…
Historical intersections of psychology, religion, and politics in national contexts
Various types of psychology have come into existence in and have been interacting with a plurality of contexts, contexts that have been radically varying in different states or nations. One important factor in the development of psychology has been the multiple relationships to the Christian religion, whether understood as an institution, a worldview, or a form of personal spirituality. The articles in this issue focus on the intertwinements betw…
Ideology, politics, and personality
Although the academic establishment of the psychology of religion in the Netherlands has been stronger than in any other Western country, the start of these developments has been remarkably late (in 1957), especially when taking into account that Dutch academic life: (1) before World War II modeled itself after Germany (where psychology of religion flourished); and (2) was to a considerable extent included in the system of pillarization, which ch…
Religion and Self
After a brief introduction of a cultural psychological perspective, this paper turns to the concept of self. The paper proposes to conceive of that reality to which the concepts of self refer as a narrative, employing especially autobiographies and other ego-documents in empirical exploration. After discussing some psychological theories about "self," the paper points out that they may well be applied in research on personal religiosity
Mourning Religion? Celebrating Transformation! From Loss to Gain, from Depression to Melancholia
The development of early psychology of religion
This article takes issue with the received view of the history of the psychology of religion. Contrary to the presentation of "the" psychology of religion by Beit-Hallahmi in JHBS (1974) as declining after 1913, this article (1) states that the psychology of religion has never been a homogeneous enterprise, but rather a multiform one, with very different developments in different countries, and (2) presents the history of the Dutch Godsdienstpsyc…
A Way Out of the Crisis
This paper seeks solutions to what has recently been called psychology of religion’s ‘crisis’ by returning to the program of one of its founding fathers, Wilhelm Wundt. It reviews Wundt’s criticism of the psychology of religion of his day, explores his völkerpsychologisch approach to religion, discusses the reasons why it failed to make a lasting impact and offers a reappraisal. The paper argues that despite the problems inherent in Wundt’s abort…
Perspective
Perspective
Methodological concerns in the psychology of religion
This article seeks solutions to what has recently been called the 'crisis' in the psychology of religion by returning to the programs of its founding fathers. It explores some of the methodological debates that followed the translation of William James' The Varieties of Religious Experience into German. More was at stake than the commonly drawn distinction between empirical and hermeneutical approaches to religion, or between quantitative and qua…
Perspective
Religion as Embodiment
Religion being multifarious and multiplex and not to be explained by one single psychology, cultural psychology is presented as a way to access the specificity of spiritual phenomena being constituted by diverse (sub)cultures. As an example of a religious form of life hitherto not approached - even considered impossible to approach - by psychology, the article introduces The bevindelijken, a group of experience-oriented conservative Calvinists in…
Beyond a Classic? Hjalmar Sunden's Role Theory and Contemporary Narrative Psychology
This article provides background information on the work of Hjalmar Sunden (1908-1993), one of the founding fathers of European psychology of religion. Critically assessing main concepts, it situates SundCn's role theory within the social constructionist movement. As a rather recent development within the movement, narrative psychology is briefly presented and an attempt made to link it to role theory (or rather, to SundCn's initial intuition). T…
The development of early psychology of religion
This article takes issue with the received view of the history of the psychology of religion. Contrary to the presentation of "the" psychology of religion by Beit-Hallahmi in JHBS (1974) as declining after 1913, this article (1) states that the psychology of religion has never been a homogeneous enterprise, but rather a multiform one, with very different developments in different countries, and (2) presents the history of the Dutch Godsdienstpsyc…
What, why and how? Meta-Reflections on Cultural Psychological Approaches to the Scientific Study of Phenomena Called Religious
This deliberately essayistic paper deals with strengths of and limits to cultural psychology, especially in its application to research on religion. It is presented as only one possible approach, composite in itself and drawing on a variety of theories, insights, methods and techniques, but working on one of the fundamental aspects of human psychological functioning, and therefore as indispensable to efforts to explore and understand anything cal…
Religion and Self
After a brief introduction of a cultural psychological perspective, this paper turns to the concept of self. The paper proposes to conceive of that reality to which the concepts of self refer as a narrative, employing especially autobiographies and other ego-documents in empirical exploration. After discussing some psychological theories about "self," the paper points out that they may well be applied in research on personal religiosity
Mourning Religion? Celebrating Transformation! From Loss to Gain, from Depression to Melancholia
Developments in the International Association for the Psychology of Religion
The Psychology of Religion in Europe—A Contextual Report
What is Real? Speculations on Hood's Implicit Epistemology and Theology
Hood's article on Mysticism, Reality, Illusion, and the Freudian Critique of Religion is examined from a constructivist point of view. Hood's misinterpretation of Freudian statements and of recent developments within psychoanalysis are due to an outdated conception of "reality." We suggest that Hood's use of Freud might serve an apologetic, theological purpose. Hood has written a remarkable article that, after reading and rereading, leaves us con…
The impact of phenomenology on clinical psychiatry
Beyond a Classic? Hjalmar Sunden's Role Theory and Contemporary Narrative Psychology
This article provides background information on the work of Hjalmar Sunden (1908-1993), one of the founding fathers of European psychology of religion. Critically assessing main concepts, it situates SundCn's role theory within the social constructionist movement. As a rather recent development within the movement, narrative psychology is briefly presented and an attempt made to link it to role theory (or rather, to SundCn's initial intuition). T…
Reflections on Passing the Away of a Trailblazer
The Historicocultural Approach in the Psychology of Religion
Jacob A. Belzen, The Historicocultural Approach in the Psychology of Religion: Perspectives for Interdisciplinary Research, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Sep., 1997), pp. 358-371
'Searching for the soul'
The Psychology of Religion in Europe—A Contextual Report
The Cultural Psychological Approach to Religion
Although psychology has taken an interdisciplinary approach to religion, at present most studies are aligned with mainstream psychology, which largely disregards the constitution of psychic functioning by cultural forces. After a brief overview of historical psychologizing positions and a discussion of the background of contemporary proposals to consider religion as naturally rooted in human beings, the paper suggests that a cultural psychologica…
The Pragmatics of Defining Religion
This volume promotes a pragmatic, anti-essentialist and anti-hegemonic approach to the problem of the definition of religion. It argues that definitions of religion are context-bound strategies for pursuing a variety of purposes, extra-academic as well as academic. Religions being immensely varied, complex and multi-functional phenomena, they need to be studied by several academic disciplines from many different perspectives. It is, therefore, le…
Religion as Embodiment
Religion being multifarious and multiplex and not to be explained by one single psychology, cultural psychology is presented as a way to access the specificity of spiritual phenomena being constituted by diverse (sub)cultures. As an example of a religious form of life hitherto not approached - even considered impossible to approach - by psychology, the article introduces The bevindelijken, a group of experience-oriented conservative Calvinists in…
Taking a Step Back
Hermeneutical Approaches in Psychology of Religion
The Future of Psychology of Religion
Developments in the International Association for the Psychology of Religion
The introduction of the psychology of religion to The Netherlands
Between 1905 and 1910, several Dutch scholars independently "discovered" the rapidly growing psychology of religion. The "empirical" character of this psychology as developed in America provoked very diverse reactions, the differences in which arose from the very different mentalities existing within religiously different segments of Dutch society. This paper focuses on an illustrative example: a dissertation by Johannes G. Geelkerken (1879-1960)…
The Reconstitution of the International Association for the Psychology of Religion
For the Internationale Gesellschaft für Religionspsychologie (International Association for the Psychology of Religion [IAPR]), its XIVth conference, held on September 28-30, 2001, in Soesterberg, The Netherlands, was an important event. Although the terrorist attacks on the United States (September 11, 2001) prevented several colleagues from traveling to The Netherlands, the conference attracted a substantial number of participants from 20 count…
The End of an Era
Mysticism
Like a Phoenix from Its Ashes? On the Fate and Future of the International Association for the Psychology of Religion
Spirituality, Culture and Mental Health
A Way Out of the Crisis
This paper seeks solutions to what has recently been called psychology of religion’s ‘crisis’ by returning to the program of one of its founding fathers, Wilhelm Wundt. It reviews Wundt’s criticism of the psychology of religion of his day, explores his völkerpsychologisch approach to religion, discusses the reasons why it failed to make a lasting impact and offers a reappraisal. The paper argues that despite the problems inherent in Wundt’s abort…
Perspective
Perspective
Methodological concerns in the psychology of religion
This article seeks solutions to what has recently been called the 'crisis' in the psychology of religion by returning to the programs of its founding fathers. It explores some of the methodological debates that followed the translation of William James' The Varieties of Religious Experience into German. More was at stake than the commonly drawn distinction between empirical and hermeneutical approaches to religion, or between quantitative and qua…
The development of early psychology of religion
This article takes issue with the received view of the history of the psychology of religion. Contrary to the presentation of "the" psychology of religion by Beit-Hallahmi in JHBS (1974) as declining after 1913, this article (1) states that the psychology of religion has never been a homogeneous enterprise, but rather a multiform one, with very different developments in different countries, and (2) presents the history of the Dutch Godsdienstpsyc…
Psychology (37 works) · Sociology (32 works) · Philosophy (28 works) · Epistemology (25 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (25 works) · Social Psychology (21 works) · Religion and Society Interactions (20 works) · Psychoanalysis (19 works) · Psychology of religion (19 works) · Social Psychology (13 works)