AbstractsPsychology

Psychology is receiving a new emphasis in the modern age. The subject of human consciousness, always fascinating, is now claiming our attention as never before. When we endeavor to link psychology with religion, the charm is greatly increased; for then we are dealing with two themes, rather than one, in which mankind has an abiding interest  – the human consciousness and the human soul. Thus, the psychology of religion has grown to be one of the most popular studies of our generation. Indeed, an eminent authority in this field ventures the opinion that the theoretical as well as the practical aspects of religious experience are universally attractive. "Here," he says, "the roots of the highest reason lie side by side with those of the lowest superstition."1 Accepting, then, the challenge of these wonderfully alluring themes, we shall devote ourselves to a psychological investigation of some of the chief phases of religious experience. Before describing the exact nature of the present inquiry, however, we shall indicate some of the more important features in the general progress of the psychology of religion.