Religious Belief Systems Research Articles

Response costs of mammography adherence: Iranian women's perceptions.

Background: Mammography as the most common secondary prevention method has known to be helpful in detecting breast cancer at the early stages. Low level of participation among women toward mammography uptake due to cultural beliefs is a great concern. This study aimed at exploring the perceptions of women about response costs of mammography adherence (MA) in Yazd, Iran. Methods: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was performed. Fourteen women,one oncology nurse, and a breast cancer survivor were purposefully interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by directed content analysis method based on protection motivation theory (PMT). Results: One main theme was emerged from the analysis namely called "response costs".Two main categories were also emerged from the data; (1) psychological barriers with six subcategories including "embarrassment," "worry about being diagnosed with cancer," "preoccupation with underlying disease," "misconception about mammography," "need for an accompanying person," and "internalizing the experiences of the others," and (2) maladaptive coping modes which encompassed three subcategories: "religious faith," "fatalism," and"avoidance and denial." Conclusion: Useful information was provided about the response costs of mammography utilization based on the perceptions of women. Cognitive barriers may be decreased by conducting modifications in women’s awareness and attitude toward MA as well as changing the national health system infrastructures. Incorporating religious and cultural belief systems into MA educational programs through motivational messages is recommended.

Learning from the past: the role of sacred groves and shrines in environmental management in the Bongo District of Ghana

Sacred natural sites are recognized as one of the most important forms of culture-based conservation strategies for the protection of biodiversity and key ecosystems, especially in rural communities throughout the world. In communities where sacred sites exist, a system of religious beliefs and sociocultural practices are often used to manage and sustain these sites. At present, concerns for future crisis in the natural environment and the threats posed to local cultural identities are becoming very rife and widely discussed among academics and practitioners. This paper is a contribution to ongoing discussions on the role of sacred natural sites to sustainable environmental management practices. Eight sacred groves and shrines in the Bongo District were investigated based on an endogenous development framework. The data were collected using focus group discussions with stakeholders at the local and district levels, and individual interviews with key local natural resource managers from four selected communities. It was revealed that the way indigenous people interact with and safeguard the environment is characterized by a system of worldviews which hinge strongly on some kind of intricate relationships between humans and their immediate environment. In some communities, the traditional institutions are becoming malleable and more willing to embrace, learn and share best environmental management practices from other cultures. We conclude that understanding of past management experiences that have sustained sacred natural sites for millions of years can offer some useful lessons for enhancing current environmental management practices. We recommend ongoing policies should take into account the adept knowledge and values of indigenous communities where resources are located and incorporate them into the management style and strategies in order to enhance sustainability.

Flash, the emperor and policies without evidence: counter-terrorism measures destined for failure and societally divisive.

Governments around the world are uniting in trying to defeat terrorist movements. In this context, recent counter terrorism laws in the UK place public duties on all citizens to help prevent terrorism. Yet, the science of predicting rare events such as terrorist offending yields consistently poor results. There are ethical, clinical and scientific dilemmas facing the professions if we are to investigate social, religious and political belief systems in routine assessment in order to inform judgements about terrorist offending risk. A balanced and evidence-based approach is necessary.

Geography of Religion in Japan: Religious Space, Landscape, and Behavior By KeisukeMatsui. New York: Springer, 2014. Pp. vii +199. Hardcover, $129.00.

The key and absolutely important premise of this book, as stated in its preface, is that “[t]o understand the function of religion it is essential to examine it in the context of local societies.” But what does this mean, and how does one go about doing it? The author argues that in geographical study of religion in Japan four common approaches are employed—studies focusing 1) on the relation of nature and environment, 2) on how religion shapes local society, organizations, and landscapes, 3) on pilgrimages to sacred places, and 4) thick descriptions of the structure of actual religious spaces—the web of landscape, temples and shrines, people, communities, and ritual activities that complexly coexist in a given sacred space. The study investigates each approach in turn, focusing on a specific Japanese sacred area for a detailed analysis of lived religion on the ground. Chapter 2 is a study of tree worship and forest culture at Suwa Taisha's Onbashira festival. Here the author builds on the famous thesis of Watsuji Tetsurō that Japanese climate (fudo) directly affects the structure of Japanese sacred landscapes. Chapter 3, which makes up most of the book, is a detailed study of the “belief areas,” that is, the different “zones” in the areas around a sacred space that are filled with their religious organizations and belief systems. He closely examines two Shintō shrines, Kasama Inari in Ibakaki prefecture and Kanamura shrine in Saitama prefecture. Chapter 4 looks at tourism and pilgrimage in the marketplace by focusing on the changing types of businesses at Narita Shinshiji-Monzenmachi, and how world heritage status has effected the revitalization of local communities in Japanese sacred areas. This is a data-rich study that shows the complexities of faith in local settings in Japan not only spatially, but temporally as well—as new global forces, like the possibility of receiving World Heritage Site Status, transform the way people understand local manifestations of the sacred as a cultural resource. This is definitely not a text for the classroom, but for serious researchers interested in Japanese religion, sacred geography, and pilgrimage and religious tourism.

Religious commitment: An interdependence approach.

In 4 studies using cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental methods, we applied interdependence theory-based concepts to understand individuals’ religious commitment, focusing on 4 distinct targets of commitment: God, denomination, community, and spiritual leader. We specifically examined which individuals were likely to persist in their religious organization membership and belief system, and which individuals were likely to convert. Results suggest our interdependence-based measures demonstrated both good reliability and predictive validity (Study 1). Religious commitment can be manipulated temporarily (Study 2) and also fluctuates over time naturally (Studies 3 and 4). Study 4 also found that our interdependence-based measures were better at predicting persistence and conversion than were other established measures of religious commitment. We close by suggesting how future research on religious commitment can be informed by the interdependence literature.

Guest Editorial: The Near-Death Experience: An Ancient Truth, a Modern Mystery

Article discussing the near-death experience (NDE) as an experience of wholeness, an adventure in consciousness, and a metaphoric encounter with light. It links theoretical physics with the occult, the Primordial Tradition, and various religious belief systems. Where science sees mystery, religion sees metaphoric truth; the NDE as spiritual quest and physical encounter beckons to both disciplines for explanation.

A Review of the Little Known Ethnic Religious Art and Culture of Arunachal Pradesh, North-East India

Arunachal Pradesh, the north-easternmost state of India is a mountainous terrain inhabited by a number of ethnic communities. Due to its geographical isolation, it is still cut off from mainstream India and has limited interaction with the rest of India. There are as many as 26 major tribes and several hundred sub-tribes. They have their own distinct culture, tradition and religious belief system. Some of the ethnic communities namely, Apatani, Nyishi, Galo, Tagin, Tangsa, Wancho, Mishmi etc. have their indigenous religious practices with well-defined belief system but due to limited research there is a paucity of data which fails to present a clear picture of the culture and tradition of the ethnic communities of the region. In many ways, their indigenous religion plays an important role in influencing the peoples’ arts and culture. This paper is an attempt to review the ethnic religious art and culture of the people of Arunachal Pradesh in an effort to highlight and preserve their ethnic cultural identity.

NURSES' BEREAVEMENT NEEDS AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS PATIENT DEATH: A QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF NURSES IN A DIALYSIS UNIT.

Dialysis nurses have a unique relationship with their patients and often require bereavement support should a patient death occur. This study was conducted in 2014 and aimed to explore the attitudes of dialysis nurses to death and dying and to identify suitable bereavement strategies following a death of a patient. A purposeful, convenience sample of all nurses employed in the dialysis service completed a demographic profile and The Death Attitudes Profile Revisited (DAP_R) survey. There were 52 responses to the survey (98% response rate). The mean age of the participants was 45 years ± 8.0 years; 87% had >10 years nursing experience. Nurses suggest that debriefing and the use of a counsellor would support them in their grieving process while new graduate nurses appear to require extra support following a patient death. Analysis of the death attitude profile-revised (DAP-R) showed significant relationships between fear of death/death avoidance as well as fear of death/neutral acceptance. Spirituality and religion correlate strongly with 'Approach Acceptance' in this study group. Forty-four percent people who 'approach acceptance' of death can be explained by the strength of religious beliefs. Many dialysis nurses appear to have strong religious or spiritual belief systems and this contributes to their acceptance of death, although there also appears to be a degree of death avoidance. The study has highlighted the need to provide adequate bereavement support for dialysis nurses.

Challenges of Mass Media Interventions Regarding Mental Health: A Community Exemplar in Kampala Uganda

The Community Psychiatric Support Organization is a registered voluntary not for profit NGO in Uganda working to promote mental health by empowering the community to care for the mentally ill. Mental illness occurring in Uganda is often ‘explored’ or ‘explained’ from non-medical perspectives, including social, cultural, and/or religious belief systems. Over the last two years, the organization has conducted sixty six (66) live radio mental health education talks and twenty six (26) live television talk shows in an effort to reduce stigma towards mental illness. Such campaigns within developing contexts have not be examined extensively, although, in other sectors such as health promotion and disease prevention, it has been found to be highly successful. The retrospective document review of personal journaled materials related to the mental health messaging (radio and television) and responses between 2013 and 2015. These journals captured responses by callers, which were then analyzed using a content analysis methodology. Through this effort, it was recognized that there is an appetite of the public for necessary and appropriate information about mental health in their community. It has also shown the need to more efforts to share information and knowledge about mental health in a manner which reaches the public to reduce misperceptions and misinformation in a manner which is culturally appropriate and social acceptable. This is a major challenge in a context of development which faces various levels of literacy, embedded social/cultural beliefs, religious strengths, and a lack of resources to address mental illness.

Ifa: Reverence, Science, and Social Technology

I write science fiction. I practice a West African religion known as Ifa. I see no conflict between these two activities.Many highly intelligent people have tried to define science fiction. Me, too. I'm not immune to the lure of understanding what I do. The definition I came up with, the aphorism I wrote down and taped to the wall near my desk reads: Science fiction is fiction that in science. That definition satisfied me at one level. Of course, it did raise the question of what it means to say that an abstraction believes in something. And then to say that one abstraction in another ... well, that's an obscurity dangling from an additional obscurity.Science is easier to define than science fiction. It's a system of knowing things, and it relies on forming and testing hypotheses, clearly stated suppositions about the universe. The results of these tests are supposed to be quantifiable, and the tests are supposed to be repeatable.Is it possible to believe in science? To have faith that this one system of knowing things is correct? I think so. I'm pretty sure so. When I talk about sf believing in science, though, my meaning runs more along these lines: stories belonging to this subgenre espouse, validate, support, and extrapolate from science as a belief.In the hit movie Avatar, botanist Grace Augustine defends her findings on the electrochemical network between Pandora's trees by distancing those findings from a religious belief system very much akin to my own. This is not just pagan voodoo, she tells her corporate sponsor, reinforcing what I regard as a false dichotomy.There are solid connections between Ifa and the realm of science: Ifa divinities sacred to certain scientific methods, technologies, and areas of study; and parallels between divination and the scientific method. The flexibility of Ifa teachings and practice makes this tradition highly adaptable and able to encompass a scientific viewpoint when called on to do so. Also, the tools of divination (both the objects used and the texts referred to), the dances, songs, prayers, and offerings with which Ifa is celebrated, can all be seen as a technological repertoire for social cultivation. After exploring these points with me you may wish to read my science fiction story Good Boy, available in my collection Filter House and on my website at www.nisishawl. com. In Good Boy a psychologist living on an extrasolar planet conducts experiments using an isolation tank, a la John Lilly. These experiments bring her and her detractors into contact with entities recognizable as members of the Ifa pantheon.I'm not going to try to thoroughly define Ifa, but I'll tell you some things about it. It's animistic-that is, the Ifa universe lives and grows and changes, and is full of subjects rather than objects. It's old. But also, it's new, because it's syncretistic-that is, it adapts itself to cultures it comes into contact with, adopting elements of them for its own purposes, thus co-opting Christianity, European paganism, and other philosophies.As a practice, Ifa focuses on the concepts of balance and alignment. The Ifa ideal is to live a life of good character in accordance with the guidance of one's best self and the precepts of heaven. There are sacred texts, there are priests, there are offerings and ceremonies, all of which help in achieving this. There are ancestors. We all have ancestors. There are deities, and in the Ifa worldview we all enjoy interactions with these deities, whether we're aware of them or not.So what do these ancestors and deities have to do with science, and thus with science fiction? Everything.Some ancestors, or egun, were scientists. (By the way, Ifa recognizes that not all descent is a biological matter. You can feel a strong affinity for someone- say Madam Curie-and so regard them as your ancestor.) Revering scientist ancestors affords us one way to perceive science and religion as in harmony with rather than in opposition to one another. …

Atheism and Agatheism in the Global Ethical Discourse: Reply to Millican and Thornhill-Miller

Peter Millican and Branden Thornhill-Miller have recently argued that contradictions between different religious belief systems, in conjunction with the host of defeaters based on empirical research concerning alleged sources of evidence for ‘perceived supernatural agency’, render all ‘first-order’, that is actual, religious traditions positively irrational, and a source of discord on a global scale. However, since the authors recognise that the ‘secularisation thesis’ appears to be incorrect, and that empirical research provides evidence that religious belief also has beneficial individual and social effects, they put forward a hypothesis of a ‘second-order religious belief’, with Universalist overtones and thus free of intergroup conflict, and free of irrationality, since supported (solely) by the Fine-Tuning Argument. While granting most of their arguments based on empirical research and embracing the new paradigm of the atheism/religion debate implicit in their paper, I contend that Millican’s and Thornhill-Miller’s proposal is unlikely to appeal to religious believers, because it misconstrues the nature and grounds of religious belief. I suggest that their hypothesis may be refined by taking into account a view of axiologically grounded religious belief that I refer to as ‘agatheism’, since it identifies God or the Ultimate Reality with the ultimate good (to agathon). I submit that agatheistic religious belief which is explicitly or implicitly presupposed in the first-order religious traditions as their doxastic core can be shown to be rational, and allows us to frame the relations between fundamental beliefs of adherents of various religions and worldviews in a non-conflictual way, conducive of their constructive participation in the global ethical discourse.

Creativity, paranormal beliefs and cognitive impairment in the elderly

In the case of older people, aesthetic thought and creativity are ways to keep mind and imagination active by contributing to prevent cognitive decline. Furthermore, having a religious belief system or even a belief system or paranormal experiences has proved to be beneficial for the health of the elderly. The objective was to study the relationship between creativity, degree of cognitive impairment and paranormal beliefs. The existence of differences depending on sociodemographic characteristics was analyzed. A group of 36 elderly people (16 men) aged between 66 and 95 years were administered the Mini-Mental State Examination (MEC), the CREA Test and the Paranormal Beliefs Scale. The main outcomes include that: those with better cognitive status are more creative; the less creative subjects had more traditional religious beliefs and even greater superstition; the elderly with better cognitive status were the least superstitious. It is remarkable that men were more creative, while women excelled in traditional religious beliefs. The study allows reflecting on the importance of professionals who work with the elderly to carry out programs to encourage creativity and even collect information about the belief system.

Creativity, paranormal beliefs and cognitive impairment in the elderly

In the case of older people, aesthetic thought and creativity are ways to keep mind and imagination active by contributing to prevent cognitive decline. Furthermore, having a religious belief system or even a belief system or paranormal experiences has proved to be beneficial for the health of the elderly. The objective was to study the relationship between creativity, degree of cognitive impairment and paranormal beliefs. The existence of differences depending on sociodemographic characteristics was analyzed. A group of 36 elderly people (16 men) aged between 66 and 95 years were administered the Mini-Mental State Examination (MEC), the CREA Test and the Paranormal Beliefs Scale. The main outcomes include that: those with better cognitive status are more creative; the less creative subjects had more traditional religious beliefs and even greater superstition; the elderly with better cognitive status were the least superstitious. It is remarkable that men were more creative, while women excelled in traditional religious beliefs. The study allows reflecting on the importance of professionals who work with the elderly to carry out programs to encourage creativity and even collect information about the belief system.

The Common-Core/Diversity Dilemma: Revisions of Humean thought, New Empirical Research, and the Limits of Rational Religious Belief

This paper is the product of an interdisciplinary, interreligious dialogue aiming to outline some of the possibilities and rational limits of supernatural religious belief, in the light of a critique of David Hume’s familiar sceptical arguments – including a rejection of his famous Maxim on miracles – combined with a range of striking recent empirical research. The Humean nexus leads us to the formulation of a new ‘Common-Core/Diversity Dilemma’ (CCDD), which suggests that the contradictions between different religious belief systems, in conjunction with new understandings of the cognitive forces that shape their common features, persuasively challenge the rationality of most kinds of supernatural belief. In support of this conclusion, we survey empirical research concerning intercessory prayer, religious experience, near-death experience, and various cognitive biases (e.g. agency detection, theory of mind, egocentric and confirmation bias). But we then go on to consider evidence that supernaturalism – even when rationally unwarranted – has significant beneficial individual and social effects, despite others (such as tribalism) that are far less desirable. This prompts the formulation of a ‘Normal/Objective Dilemma’ (NOD), identifying important trade-offs to be found in the choice between our humanly evolved ‘normal’ outlook on the world, and one that is more rational and ‘objective’. Can we retain the pragmatic benefits of supernatural belief while avoiding irrationality and intergroup conflict? It may well seem that rationality is incompatible with any wilful sacrifice of objectivity (and we appreciate the force of this austere view). But in a situation of uncertainty, an attractive compromise may be available by moving from the competing factions and mutual contradictions of ‘first-order’ supernaturalism to a more abstract and tolerant ‘second-order’ view, which itself can be given some distinctive (albeit controversial) intellectual support through the increasingly popular Fine Tuning Argument. We end by proposing a ‘Maxim of the Moon’ to express the undogmatic spirit of this second-order religiosity, providing a cautionary metaphor to counter the pervasive bias endemic to the human condition, and offering a more cooperation- and humility-enhancing understanding of religious diversity in a tense and precarious globalised age.

Doro Rekufa and Tsvitsa: Beer, Animals and Death Rituals among the Ndau of South Eastern Zimbabwe

Despite Westernization and particularly the advent of Christianity and its widespread entrenchment on the African continent, traditional indigenous rituals continue to constitute an integral part of African religious belief systems and practices. This article presents the results of an ethnoarchaeological study of two death rituals that are conducted by the Ndau people of south eastern Zimbabwe. The rituals are a demonstration of attitudes towards death and beliefs about the role of the dead among the living. The Ndau do not believe that death signals and represents the end of life. In the same vein and perhaps more importantly, the Ndau do not believe that death just happens. It is caused by human agency out of jealousies, hatred and conflict among the living. These beliefs are central to the two rituals presented and discussed here: the first ritual is conducted to ascertain cause of death and the second to bring back the spirit of the deceased from a temporary state of limbo immediately after death. Meat and beer are central to these rituals, firstly as offerings to the deceased and secondly as an important part of the living celebration of the rituals. The paper then explores some interpretive implications of the rituals from an archaeological perspective.

Religious and Ethnic Discrimination: Differential Implications for Social Support Engagement, Civic Involvement, and Political Consciousness

Social identity threats, depending on the content of the identity targeted, may evoke varying socio-political responses. In this regard, religious discrimination may be especially threatening, challenging both the social group and its belief system, thereby promoting more active collective responses. This research examined how religious and ethnic identification differentially evoked engagement with support resources (ingroup and spiritual), civic involvement (including individual and collective action-taking), and political participation (voting or political consciousness) following group-based threats. Study 1 drew from the CanadianEthnic Diversity Survey(N= 1806). Participants who reported religious discrimination demonstrated greater religious identification, ingroup social engagement, and civic involvement—comparable associations were absent for ethnic discrimination. Study 2 (N= 287) experimentally primed participants to make salient a specific incident of religious or ethnic discrimination. Although ethnic discrimination elicited greater ingroup support-seeking and political consciousness, religious discrimination was perceived as especially harmful and evoked more individual and collective action-taking. Further to this, religious high-identifiers’ responses were mediated by engagement with ingroup or spiritual support in both studies, whereas no mediated relations were evident for ethnic identification. Findings are discussed in terms of distinct socio-political responses to threats targeting identities that are grounded in religious belief systems.

The Igala traditional religious belief system: Between monotheism and polytheism

Specialists on African Traditional Religion and culture hold the position that the concept of the Supreme God is embedded in the religious life of the African people long before their contact with the Western world. The Igala traditional culture is not left out in this search. There is an enduring problem of situating the religious worldview of the Igala people. This work stands as a blueprint into the nature of most of Africa’s religio-cultural belief systems. Using the Igala traditional concept of the supra-sensible in the light of the African Traditional Religion, we situate the belief system within either polytheistic or monotheistic structures, but not without some sense of hermeneutics and critical discourse. In the final analysis, we aver that the Igala traditional belief system falls within the category of inclusive monotheism.

L’histoire de la Mindfulness à l’épreuve des données actuelles de la littérature : questions en suspens

The first part of this paper describes the long history of the concept of Mindfulness. Contrary to the belief that Mindfulness only has Buddhist and Hindu origins, it is also rooted in Jewish, Islamic and Christian religions. Furthermore, western philosophers have described a mindful path to become more aware of thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Mindfulness can be considered as a universal human ability embodied to foster clear thinking and open-heartedness. As such, this form of being requires no particular religious or cultural belief system. The current acceptance of what a mindful path is, refers to a psychological quality that involves bringing one's complete attention to present experience on a moment-to-moment basis, in a particular way: in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. Although such a definition is well accepted in France, the French translation for Mindfulness is not easy to use: being conscious and being aware are translated with the same French word. The French language fails to clearly separate the dimensional attributes of a mindful subject from the ways for developing mindfulness through formal meditation practice. In line with this conception, stability and assessments of Mindfulness mainly were examined. How this disposition allows the development of concentration, attention and acceptance moment by moment in a nonjudgmental way is described in the second part. Particular attention is paid to its positive effects in several aspects of mental and physical health. In particular, positive effects on the ability to cope with stress are described from a physiological point of view. Third, this article intends to present neurobiological aspects currently proposed to explain the benefits of Mindfulness meditation. Modifications of cerebral networks and neurobiological functioning are described in relation to expertise in meditation practice. The hypothesis of the role of meditation on neuroplasticity is also discussed. Furthermore, the specific impact of Mindfulness meditation practice on these mechanisms will be considered in comparison with relaxation techniques. With the increasing growth of well-designed and well-controlled meditation research, however, future studies will be needed to compare between different meditation techniques. This will enable researchers to outline the effects of the technique-specific differences on behavior, cognitive function, underlying physiology and neurobiology and clinical effectiveness. Finally, the most recent data on the changes in functioning of a resting brain (Brain Default Mode) induced by a Mindfulness practice, demonstrate differences in the default-mode network that are consistent with decreased mind-wandering. That is a way to better understand possible neural mechanisms of meditation for health benefits of Mindfulness.

Securing the Harmony between the High and the Low: Power Animals and Symbols of Political Authority in Ancient Chinese Jades and Bronzes

For decades scholars have been discussing the meaning, purpose, and function of the various styles of decoration found in jade and bronze objects produced in the period spanning the Neolithic to the Han dynasty. Max Loehr made a significant contribution to this discussion in 1953 when he made the first attempt to understand the nature and sequence of styles of bronze décor from the Anyang period (1300–1038 b.c .), which corresponds to the late Shang dynasty. Since then scholars have been divided by two different points of view. Taking one side are those who concentrate on the iconographical meaning of the figures represented on the surface of jades and bronzes, suggesting that ornaments are correlated with, and an expression of, a preexistent system of beliefs. On the other side are those who consider the nature and evolution of the sequence of designs and styles as an artistic sophistication that must be considered independently of any exterior motivation, such as a system of religious beliefs. This article aims to explore the purpose and meaning of jade and bronze decorations, particularly those representations of real and mythical animals as forms of spiritual and political empowerment. Through the examination of the nature and sequence of iconographic motifs interpreted as archetypal forms, this article demonstrates the existence of distinct moments for the meaning and purpose of jade and bronze ornaments. During the moments when spirituality and the sacred rituals are dominant and overlap political power, the use of jade and bronze objects decorated with power-animals are manifestations of a system of beliefs. On the other hand, during the moments when political power enlists spirituality and sacred rituals as instruments of sovereignty, the designs tend to be more inventive and sophisticated, corresponding to technological improvements. Consequently, iconographic motifs lose their spiritual meaning and purpose to an immanent sense of design within an artistic phenomenon.

Psychologists and Clergy Working Together: A Collaborative Treatment Approach for Religious Clients

Positive religious engagement has numerous benefits for individuals struggling with mental health difficulties. There is, however, a dearth of literature addressing ways that secular psychologists can engage a client’s religious belief system in a manner that allows the positive benefits of the client’s religious and/or spiritual involvement to be experienced within therapy without requiring religious knowledge or theological training by the psychologist. The following article proposes a collaborative treatment model composed of distinct interventions functioning in a cooperative, coordinated manner. Discussion is also given to principles that aid psychologists in coordinating psychological and spiritual interventions into a coherent and cooperative treatment process.