Links between religion and prejudice have been interpreted to suggest that religion can both reduce and exacerbate prejudice. Here, the analysis of religion as a meaning system illuminates how religion can affect intergroup attitudes. Traditional psychological perspectives on religion and prejudice are summarized, followed by a discussion of religion and prejudice in cross-cultural and cross-religious contexts, involving varying target groups. Next, we explore possible explanatory mechanisms by proposing how four levels of meaning associated with religion—cognitive, motivational, societal, and intergroup—may both promote and attenuate prejudice. Finally, additional factors that might facilitate the paradoxical coexistence of religious egalitarian intentions with prejudiced attitudes are considered, and we speculate about the potential for religious groups to reduce prejudice within their adherents.

Religion, Meaning, and Prejudice

Despite social and governmental responses to battering, many women continue to feel entrapped in abusive relationships. Using standpoint epistemology, this article examines the various aspects of help seeking, and the social and institutional responses to such efforts, through the narratives of 19 women in a domestic violence shelter. The findings are discussed with reference to Ptacek's social entrapment perspective and Gondolf and Fisher's survivor hypothesis, illustrating the socioeconomic and political context of the control tactics utilized by abusers and the structural impediments to battered women's successful help seeking.

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Silenced voices and structured survival: battered women's help seeking

Research on the concept of "spirituality" demonstrates its overlap with "religion," so for many purposes they need to be considered together as "spirituality/religion." Investigations of age differences point to the likelihood that spirituality tends to increase during later adulthood. It has important positive relationships with various measures of life satisfaction, psychosocial well-being, and both physical and mental health. It benefits therapy for recovery from illness and is a source of meaning and purpose in life. Spiritual interventions help to relieve psychological distress and death anxiety, as well as the stresses of caregiving. Because of its therapeutic value, prayer is an important resource for coping with problems experienced during the life course. The Spiritual Well-Being Scale and many other instruments have been developed to measure spirituality and related concepts. As in all other domains of research on people, they all have limits and must be applied with caution for both technical and ethical reasons. Nevertheless, applications of the research findings, which overwhelmingly demonstrate the importance of spirituality to human well-being, already are improving the effectiveness of clinical work and social services in all of the health and human service professions. As scientific knowledge of spirituality expands, so does awareness of the need for further research, including the refinement of methodological procedures, expansion to new topics, and extension to international cultures and diverse religions. The outlook for research on spirituality and the consequent practical applications to benefit humanity is very promising.

Research in spirituality, religion and aging.

The article analyzes the concept of “worldview” in religious education. A distinction is introduced between organized worldviews, more or less established systems with a group of believers, and personal worldviews, individuals’ views on life and humanity. The focus of the first section is on presenting a more precise description of these concepts by analyzing whether four elements are conceptually necessary: existential questions, moral values, influence in people's acting and thinking, and providing meaning in life. The aim of the second section is to investigate the role “worldview” plays in education and to clarify questions that need reflection when schools want to pay attention to both organized and personal worldviews.

“Worldview”: the Meaning of the Concept and the Impact on Religious Education

The study examined mental health outcomes for samesex attracted youth with a Christian background based on their differential internalization of attitudes toward homosexuality and gay issues that are socialized by most major Christian denominations. Data from 339 young men and 56 young women ages 13–25 who participated in the OutProud/Oasis Internet Survey of Queer and Questioning Youth were analyzed. In comparison to those who reported “no conflict” between their religious and sexual identities, youth who did not adopt a lesbian/gay/bisexual identity and believed change in sexual orientation is possible had higher internalized homophobia. Those who left Christianity and had difficulty believing God loves them had both higher internalized homophobia and poorer mental health. Responses from youth who resolved or ignored the conflict were not significantly different from those who experienced no conflict.

Reconciling Christianity and Positive Non-Heterosexual Identity in Adolescence, with Implications for Psychological Well-Being

Book Review: Pedagogies of Religious Education: Case Studies in the Research and Development of Good Pedagogic Practice in RE:

The attitude of a sample of Perth, Western Australia, churchgoers towards homosexual persons and homosexuality in the clergy was measured and the relationship between the function of their attitude and their religious orientation was assessed. As predicted from the motivational view of religious orientation, intrinsic orientation was correlated with a negative attitude towards homosexual persons and homosexuality in the clergy. The function of the attitude of intrinsics tended to be value expressive, while the function of the attitude of extrinsics tended to be either social adjustive or defensive. This finding is congruent with Allport's description of these orientations. An additional finding was that intrinsics are rejecting of clergy with homosexual preferences even if the clergy are celibate. Some of the limitations of this study and suggestions for future research in this area have been presented.

Religious orientation and attitudes towards homosexuality

The responsibility of the religious community to take proactive measures to face up to the issue of violence in the family was addressed by the Anglican Church in Western Australia. This paper describes a survey of clergy which indicated the nature and incidence of abuse as a pastoral concern for clergy, the extent to which they were equipped to deal with it, and their perceived needs with regard to training. Analysis of this descriptive data provided the framework for the development of a training program. Trialling and evaluation of the program resulted in the publication of a curriculum package to equip clergy and church workers to respond appropriately to the pastoral needs of the abused, and to take the opportunity to reflect on their related beliefs and values. A similar approach is recommended for community or professional groups wishing to become familiar with the characteristics, causes, and outcomes of domestic violence.

Violence in Families: The Development of a Program to Enable Clergy to Provide Support

Review(s) of: Understanding Clergy Misconduct in Religious Systems: Scapegoating, Family Secrets and the Abuse of Power; Candace R. Benyei Haworth Pastoral Press, 1998, 197pp. $36 hardback, $24 (paperback).

Cynthia K. Dixon

Papers

Book Review: Pedagogies of Religious Education: Case Studies in the Research and Development of Good Pedagogic Practice in RE:

Religious orientation and attitudes towards homosexuality

Violence in Families: The Development of a Program to Enable Clergy to Provide Support

Understanding Clergy Misconduct in Religious Systems: Scapegoating, Family Secrets and the Abuse of Power [Book Review]

Nurturing the spirit or quenching it through coercion? An exploration of the tensions in nurturing children