NOW AND HEREAFTER The Psychology of Hope from the Perspective of Religion
Keywords:
Virtues and Character Strengths in Positive Psychology, Hope as Character Strength, Seligman: Hope as Optimism, Snyder: Hope as Pathways to Desired Goals, Damon: Hope as a Sense of Purpose in Life, Emmons: Hope as an Ultimate Concern, Psychological Measures of Hope, Values in Action: Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS), Adult Dispositional Hope Scale and Adult State Hope Scale, Adult Domain Specific Hope Scale (DSHS), Multidimensional Inventory for Religious/Spiritual Wellbeing, Role of Hope in Human Wellbeing, Evaluating the Psychology of Hope from the Perspective of ReligionAbstract
Faced with the harsh reality of death, human beings have often drawn a sense of hope from a belief in life after death. Religions have earnestly supported this faith and hope. As Paul Tillich put it, “Without hope, the tension of our life toward the future would vanish, and with it, life itself.”In recent times, hope has also become a subject matter for psychology. Does psychology risk separating hope from religion, focussing too narrowly on the immediate future? Or could the treatment of hope offered by psychology give a sense of meaning to life similar to that provided by religion? This article examines recent developments in the psychology of hope from the perspective of religion.
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