The individual and his religion [Review of the book The individual and his religion: A psychological interpretation

Abstract

Reviews the book "The individual and his religion: A psychological interpretation" by G. W. Allport (see record 1950-04571-000 ). Almost independently of its merits, this book is important in three respects. First, and of greatest significance, is the fact that an American psychologist of first rank and theoretical interests has addressed himself to this topic. Secondly, this book will be useful to counselors as bibliotherapy for clients experiencing religious conflict, especially in the case of students whose conflicts arise via contact with psychology and allied sciences. Thirdly--and here the reviewer parts company with Allport--the book is a challenge to the determined and wholehearted secularist in psychology, because it is quite obviously not a disinterested psychological causal analysis but includes a not-too-subtle bit of religious propaganda, the author's avowal to the contrary notwithstanding. The book is marred by a few minor mistakes, such as Allport's canonizing of Thomas á Kempis, and the lugging in of that dreadful old chestnut, so often refuted by careful logical analysis, about determinism's incompatibility with praise, exhortation, and effort. The presentation of the positivist critique under "referential doubting" especially the end of the paragraph at the top of page 119, is incredibly superficial. Positivists do not "condemn" poetry, for it does not claim to assert facts. "Legal discourse" is primarily a metalinguistic examination of "what entails what," and is admitted by most positivists. The lumping together of "poetic, artistic, legal" discourse as meaningless to positivists shows a carelessness which in a less respected writer would almost suggest a lack of intellectual integrity. Finally, the book fails to satisfy because of a deep-seated methodological mistake. It assumes that a really well-rounded psychological discussion of religion can be given without any concern with the truth-character of religious beliefs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)