Christian Science: A Case Study of the Social Psychological Aspect of Secularization

Abstract

NE of reactions to such mythical concepts as the group mind which dominated social psychological theory in an earlier era was to shift focus of analysis from group to individual. As a result, contemporary research in this area is usually concerned either with impact of social and cultural factors on individual or on role of individual in social process. However, for sociologist, who is interested primarily in collective phenomena, there remains problem of dealing with psychological structure of groups.' In other words, groups differ and can be typed not only in terms of their social structure-in sense of characteristic normative and status systems-but also in terms of what Heberle has recently termed their social psychological texture-in sense of predominating type of motivation which informs social relationships involved.2 This report deals with but one aspect of a larger study which sought to describe, in strictly sociological terms, career of Christian Science from its relatively inchoate beginnings (around 1866) to its present status as a highly respected and formally organized religious group.' The nature of change taking place during this span of years can be most generally described as a matter of secularization, tendency of sectarian religious movements and groups to become both part of and like the world.4 The focus of present paper is on social psychological aspect of secularization process. It aims at empirical validation of general hypothesis that larger, more heterogeneous, older, and more powerful a group becomes, more will its psychological structure change from that of an emotional to a rational association.5 It will consider in turn: (1) conceptual apparatus, (2) sources and nature of data, (3) methods of analysis, and (4) results.