RELIGION: BELIEFS, THEORIESAND SOCIETAL EFFECTS

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY

RELIGION: BELIEFS, THEORIESAND SOCIETAL EFFECTS

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

CONTENTS

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1. INFANT MORTALITY AND RELIGIOUSCULTURE: A COMPARATIVE APPROACHOF TWO SWISS STATES (1860-1930)

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

RELIGION AND INFANT MORTALITY:A CONTROVERSIAL RELATIONSHIP

SAMPLE, DATA AND COMPARATIVERESEARCH DESIGN

EXPLAINING RELIGIOUS DIFFERENTIALS IN FERTILITY:A FIRST APPLICATION OF OUR MODEL

EXPLAINING RELIGIOUS DIFFERENTIALSIN INFANT MORTALITY: A NEW CHALLENGE

Catholic and Protestant Attitudes towards Infant Mortality

The Statistical Data and Apparatus

The Fight against Gastroenteritis

STATE POLICIES AND INFANT MORTALITY:A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Descriptive Statistics at the Village Level

Event History Analysis of the Determinantsof Infant Mortality

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

CHAPTER 2. FREE WILL PERCEPTIONS AND RELIGIONIN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIAAND THEIR CAREGIVERS

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS FREE WILL AND DO LAYPEOPLEBELIEVE IN IT?

THE STUDY OF FREE WILL IN PSYCHOLOGY

FREE WILL AND UNDERLYING CONSTRUCTS

FREE WILL AND RELIGION

APPLYING THE STUDY OF FREE WILLTO SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS

Schizophrenia Patients

Schizophrenia Caregivers

RELIGION AND SCHIZOPHRENIA/SEVEREMENTAL ILLNESS

Self Versus Other Free Will Perspectivein Schizophrenia Caregivers

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

CHAPTER 3. “DO BELIEFS REALLY HAVE SOCIETALEFFECTS? IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORIESOF RELIGION”

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

THE PROBLEMATIC NATURE OF ASSUMING RELIGIOUSBELIEFS HAVE SOCIETAL EFFECTS

AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH: STUDYING THE SOCIETALEFFECTS OF RELIGIOUS BEHAVIOR

RESPONSES TO STEADMAN AND PALMER

Dominick Johnson

Benjamin Purzcki et al.

A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE: RELIGIOUS BELIEFAS A CAUSE OF SUICIDE BOMBINGS AND SUPPORTFOR SUICIDE ATTACKS

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

CHAPTER 4. SPIRITUALITY, SECULARITY,AND WELL-BEING

ABSTRACT

SUMMARY OF RESEARCHON RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY AND QOL

DIFFERENCES WITHIN THE NONRELIGIOUSPOPULATION

ATHEISTS, DEFINITION OF, DEMOGRAPHICCHARACTERISTICS

WHAT WE DO KNOW ABOUT ATHEISTS?

FACTORS AFFECTING QOL AND ATHEISTS

Conversion and Apostasy

Discrimination

PARTICULAR STEREOTYPES OF ATHEISMAND ATHEISTS

Atheism is Immoral

Atheism is Anti-Religious or Anti-American

Atheism is a Result of Disrupted Attachmentsto Parents, Particularly Fathers

Atheism is Pathological

QUALITY OF LIFE

Research Findings on QOL in Atheists

IN CONCLUSION: WHY STUDY THE SECULAR?CHALLENGES IN CONDUCTING RESEARCHWITH NONBELIEVERS

REFERENCES

CHAPTER 5. MAIMONIDES’ VIEWS

ABSTRACT

1. INTRODUCTION: THE PROBLEM AND THE PLAN

2. MAIMONIDES’ TWENTY-FIVE SUPPOSEDLYINDUBITABLE PROPOSITIONS

3. OPTIONS IN THE PRESENT DAY CONTEXT

CONCLUSION: A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS

REFERENCES

CHAPTER 6. THE ARCHITECTURE OF NONCONFORMISTCHRISTIAN RELIGIONAND NATIONAL IDENTITY

CONCLUSION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

REFERENCES

CHAPTER 7. A POSSIBLE NEUROSCIENCE APPROACHTO SOME HEALTH BENEFITS RELATEDTO RELIGION

ABSTRACT

1. OVERVIEW: PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH

2. STRATEGY

3. MENTAL HEALTH, NEUROSCIENCEAND THE HOLY BIBLE

4. SCHEMATIC SUMMARY

5. FINAL COMMENTS

Excerpts from the Holy Bible

Old Testament

Eccles 7

Prov 1

Prov 15

Prov 16

Prov 17

Prov 18

Prov 21

Prov 22

Prov 29

New Testament

Act 20

1 Cor 13

The Supremacy of Love

1 Cor 16

2 Cor 4

2 Cor 8

Coloss 3

Eph 4

1 John 3

1 John 3

1 John 4

John 20

Luke 6

Luke 7

Luke 11

Mt 5

Mt 10

Mt 18:21

REFERENCES

CHAPTER 8. DOES RELIGION CAUSE VIOLENCE?

THE INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS RESURGENCE

THE QUESTION OF RELIGION AND VIOLENCE

RELIGION, THICK AND THIN

RELIGION -- UNIVERSAL, PAROCHIALAND ROMANTIC

THE TRANSFORMATION OF RELIGION INTO A FORCEFOR PEACE: DIALOGUE, DEVELOPMENTAND DEMOCRACY

CONCLUSION

INDEX