Cook, S. W., Dixon, L. S., & McGuire, P. J. (2012). Religion and spirituality: Theories and research. In N. A. Fouad, J. A. Carter, & L. M. Subich (Eds.), APA handbooks in psychology. APA handbook of counseling psychology, Vol. 1. Theories, research, and methods (pp. 507-522). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/13754-019
Surveys estimate that approximately 85% of the world population (see http://www.adherents.com/Religions_ By_Adherents.html) and 80% of the U.S. population (Kosmin & Keysar, 2009) claim at least some identification with some form of religion. Also, approximately 81% of Americans consider religion to be at least a fairly important part of their lives (Gallup, Inc., 2010), and 50% to 85% of people experiencing difficult situations report using religion and spirituality to cope (Pargament, 1997). One of the early pioneers in the psychological study of religion, William James (1902/1961), described the nature of religion as “the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual [people] in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine” (p. 42). Examining the experiences, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with religiousness and spirituality is important for counseling psychologists, as well as for social scientists more generally, to obtain a more accurate understanding of people. This chapter begins by critically analyzing definition and measurement issues that have served as the focus of substantial research and theoretical developments in this area of study during recent years. Next, several content domains in the psychological study of religiousness are summarized and critiqued to provide counseling psychologists with a useful introduction to this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)