The Interplay of Social Science and Personal Belief in Gordon W. Allport's Psychology of Religion

Abstract: In this study an analysis of G.W. Allport's psychology of religion was carried out from the perspective of personal equation with the aim of establishing an interchange between a scholarly and personal sphere in Allport's views of psychology of religion. A content analysis of Allport's collected scholarly writings on psychology of religion, and largely unpublished personal sources previously not used investigated the writings from following categories: the components of religion, the functions of religion, religion and social science, apologetics, religion and society, and the issue of human nature. The findings in the study revealed academic, personal, and theological components in Allport's directions in psychology of religion. Allport's personality theory is the theoretical base explaining differences in religious orientations. A life long personal religious commitment with distinctive theological features served as a motive in Allport's shaping of a theory in psychology in religion. It contributed as well to particular elements in the theory.