The Holy Trinity : religion, well-being, and purpose in life : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Psychology), Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
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Date
2014
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Massey University
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Abstract
Almost exclusively, literature that concerns itself with the psychology of religion and health
holds the orthodox position of the existence of a positive (albeit small) relationship between
religion and psychological well-being. Put simply, the literature supports the hypothesis that
individuals who are religious have a greater level of well-being than those who are not.
Methodologically, there are a number of issues with this research. The most important of which are
the failure to include a sample of non-religious individuals in the studies
and the attribution, to religion, of effects on well-being that occur via indirect secular
pathways. This study explores the hypothesis that because religious beliefs are only special,
unique and peculiar in relation to their central tenet, the belief in supernatural agency, and that
because any behaviours associated with them are also available to non- religious individuals in
some secular form or other, there is no rationale for any empirical relationship, no matter how
small, between an individual’s religiosity and their well-being. Rather, as suggested elsewhere in
the literature, well-being is better explained by other factors that individuals, including those
who are religious, may be able
to access. The factors of particular interest to this study are the
presence of meaning in a person’s life, and a theorised facet of meaning
– purpose. Accordingly, the design of this research is that of ‘value
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Keywords
Well-being, Religious aspects, Psychology, Religious, Research Subject Categories::HUMANITIES and RELIGION::Religion/Theology::Psychology of religion