The Science of Religion, Spirituality, and Existentialism

Part 1: Death 1. Dwelling Forever in the House of the Lord: On the Terror Management Function of Religion2. Death anxiety and religious belief: A critical review3. Face to Face with Death: The Role of Religion in Coping with Suffering4. Near-Death Experiences: The Mystical Feeling of "Crossing Over" and Its Impact on Faith and Spirituality Part 2: Freedom5. Reactance and spiritual possibilities: An application of psychological reactance theory6. Understanding the psychology of religion: The contribution of Self Determination Theory 7. A Goals Perspective on Religion and Spirituality8. Religion and Spirituality, Free Will, and Effective Self-Regulation9. Authenticity and the True Self in Religion and Spirituality10. Freedom as a Cross to Bear: Choice-Overload, the Burdens of Freedom, and the Benefits of Constraint Part 3: Isolation and social identity11. Social Ostracism, Religion, and Existential Concerns12. The holy grail of connection: I-sharing, existential isolation, and religion13. An attachment theory perspective on religion and spirituality14. A social identity approach to religion: Religiosity at the nexus of personal and collective self15. Religion and the construction of identity Part 4: Systems of meaning16. Truth and significance: A 3N Model (needs, narratives, networks) perspective on religion17. Existential Uncertainty and Religion18. Cosmic dad or Cthulhu: Why we will always need (religious) absolutes19. Religiousness and meaning making following stressful life events20. Meaning, religious/spiritual struggles, and well-being Part 5: Mechanisms, variations, and individual differences21. In His Own Image: An Existential Evolutionary Perspective on the Origins and Function of Religion22. Fear Not: Religion and Emotion Regulation in Coping with Existential Concerns23. Existential Givens, Religion, and Neuroscience24. The Existential implications of individual differences in religious defensive and growth orientations: Fundamentalism, quest religiosity, and intrinsic/extrinsic religiosity25. Existential Therapy, Religion, and Mindfulness Part 6: Applications and controversies26. Science and religion: A rocky relationship shaped by shared psychological functions27. Of Flesh and Blood: Death, Creatureliness, and Incarnational Ambivalence towards the Divine28. Religion: More essential (and existential) nutrient than opiate for the masses29. Politics and Religion: Commutable, Conflicting, and Collaborative Systems for Satisfying the Need for Order30. The Paradox of Faith: How Existential Concerns Motivate both Prosocial and Antisocial Religious Behaviors31. Religion and Health: Building Existential Bridges