The Parental Figures and the Representation of God: A Psychological and Cross-Cultural Study (Religion and Society, 21)

The series Religion and Society (RS) contributes to the exploration of religions as social systems– both in Western and non-Western societies; in particular, it examines religions in their differentiation from, and intersection with, other cultural systems, such as art, economy, law and politics. Due attention is given to paradigmatic case or comparative studies that exhibit a clear theoretical orientation with the empirical and historical data of religion and such aspects of religion as ritual, the religious imagination, constructions of tradition, iconography, or media. In addition, the formation of religious communities, their construction of identity, and their relation to society and the wider public are key issues of this series. Preface 5 Contents 9 1. The Parental Figures: Symbolic Functions and Medium for the Representation of God 13 2. The Semantic Differential Parental Scale 37 3. Maternal and Paternal Dimensions in the Parental and Divine Figures 55 4. Cultural Differences in the Structure and Significance of the Parental Figures 85 5. Differential Perspectives of the Parental Figures and the Representation of God 111 6. The Parental Figures and the Representation of God of Schizophrenics and Delinquents 157 7. The Representation of God and Parental Figures Among North American Students 181 8. Overview and Theoretical Perspective 197 Appendix I: Some Developmental Characteristics of the Parental Figures and the Representation of God 239 Appendix II: The Paternal and Maternal Items in English, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Italian 244 Appendix III: Sources of the Attributes used in Constructing the SDPS 246 References 251 Author Index 263 Antoine Vergote And Alvaro Tamayo. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. [239]-250.