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Understanding the Attitudinal Dimensions of Religion and Spirituality

  • Chapter
International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Religion and Education ((IHRE,volume 3))

Abstract

The social scientific study of religion appreciates the multidimensional nature of religion and spirituality and distinguishes between a number of welldefined dimensions, including affiliation (say Methodist, Catholic, Muslim), practice (say, personal prayer, public attendance), belief (say, life after death, hell), orientation (say, intrinsic, extrinsic), and attitude. This chapter concentrates on the body of research which has refined concern with the attitudinal dimension of religion and spirituality. The argument proceeds in five steps: defining and critiquing the concept of attitude; describing and assessing methods of assessing and measuring attitude; assembling and integrating the research evidence concerned with the correlates of the attitudinal dimension of religion and spirituality; antecedents and consequences of individual differences in the attitudinal dimension of religion and spirituality; and applying the research evidence to practice.

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Biographical details

  • The Revd Canon Professor Leslie J Francis is Professor of Religions and Education at the University of Warwick, UK

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Religions and Education, Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK

    Leslie J. Francis

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  1. Leslie J. Francis
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Correspondence to Leslie J. Francis .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National School of Religious Education, Australian Catholic University, 1200 Mair St, Ballarat Campus, 3350, Ballarat, VIC, Australia

    Marian de Souza

  2. Warwick Inst. Education, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK

    Leslie J. Francis

  3. School of Education Studies, Dublin City University, Dublin, Glasnevin, Ireland

    James O’Higgins-Norman

  4. School of Child & Youth Care, University of Victoria, V8W 2Y2, Victoria, BC, Canada

    Daniel Scott

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Francis, L.J. (2009). Understanding the Attitudinal Dimensions of Religion and Spirituality. In: de Souza, M., Francis, L.J., O’Higgins-Norman, J., Scott, D. (eds) International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing. International Handbooks of Religion and Education, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9018-9_9

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