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The Happy Mind: Cognitive Contributions to Well-Being pp 443–458Cite as

Religious Cognitions and Well-Being: A Meaning Perspective

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Abstract

The vast majority of research on the topic of religion and well-being has focused on behaviors (e.g., service attendance, prayer), motivation (e.g., intrinsic religiousness), or inner experiences (e.g., transcendence). Instead, the present chapter focuses on the important and understudied intersection of religious beliefs and well-being. First, religious beliefs are defined and described as a central feature of meaning making systems. The relevant literature linking religious beliefs and well-being is reviewed and limitations of current research are discussed. A more comprehensive model is then proposed. Directions for future research conclude this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, USA

    Crystal L. Park

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  1. Crystal L. Park
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Correspondence to Crystal L. Park .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology, NDSU Department 2765, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA

    Michael D. Robinson

  2. Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Michael Eid

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Park, C.L. (2017). Religious Cognitions and Well-Being: A Meaning Perspective. In: Robinson, M., Eid, M. (eds) The Happy Mind: Cognitive Contributions to Well-Being. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58763-9_24

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