April 26th Notes REL 304 Religion in Adulthood: Meaning, Coping, Well-Being and Identity Adulthood brings a solid,

d, stable, and usually dogmatic religiosity that is integrated with the sense of self. Religion and Meaning - Taking humanity as a whole, religion is the way that people locate and define personal meaning. - Religion makes sense of life by addressing common existential concerns (Origins, why?, mortality, etc.) - Religion imbues life with a purpose, resulting in personal motivation and goals. Religion and coping - Religion helps people cope with the stress and trials of life o Religion offers a means for dealing with problems and regulating emotions. o Religion provides a sense of significance to otherwise inexplicable events. - Religion offers a locus of control, especially when crisis strikes and options are limited. - Examples of religious coping methods include faith, prayer and forgiveness Religion and Well-Being - There is a positive association between religiousness and feelings of happiness - Firm beliefs (Existential certainty) correlates with life-satisfaction by providing a comfortable order and coherence to life - Religion ameliorates the fear of death (usually with the promise of more/better life Religion and Health - Religion contributes to overall mental and physical health by fostering less stressful, emotionally positive living. - Religion contributes to overall mental and physical health by fostering healthy lifestyles - Social ties formed through participation in religions communities have a positive impact on physical and mental health - Religion and Healing: (Inconclusive?) Evidence ranges from placebo effects to positive faith-based interpretations to utter lack of empirical support Religion and Identity - Religious involvement is directly linked to the formation of personal identity and sense of self - Religious involvement is directly linked to social identity and sets boundaries for community. Paper topic The Personal God

How do we create the God Concept How do we interact with God Religion and coping Religion and understanding Why is religion persistent?