PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION

Five-Week Course

Dates: Five Thursdays, February 19–March 26 (no class March 19)
Time: 6–7:30 p.m.
Location: See Course Locations and Parking page
Course Fee: $130 (discounted to $104 for select groups)

Wendy Domjan, Ph.D., Psychology, UT Austin

Religion is one of the most significant parts of people's lives. It impacts virtually every aspect of human experience, from birth to death, at home and at work, in personal and public actions. This class examines the psychology behind religious practice and belief, from two perspectives. The first will explore how psychology can illuminate our understanding of religion, focusing on questions such as the nature of religious experience and the effects of prayer. The second will consider the ways in which religion influences psychological functioning, through beliefs, behaviors, and both mental and physical health. We will consider both theory and research in psychology that bear on these issues.

Wendy Domjan received her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1977. She joined the faculty of the Psychology Department of The University of Texas at Austin as an assistant professor, but resigned in 1980 to raise her three children. She returned to the university as a lecturer in 1985 and is now a Senior Lecturer in psychology and the Assistant Director of the Plan II Honors Program. She has taught for the Psychology Department, Plan II Honors, Liberal Arts Honors, the Gateway Program and University Extension, both in evening and online classes. She is the recipient of the Chad Oliver Teaching Award from Plan II; The Harry Ransom Teaching Award and the Raymond Dickson Teaching Fellowship from the College of Liberal Arts; and is the first recipient of the Psychology Department’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Her most recent teaching interests have focused on the psychology of religion, the psychology of fundamentalism and the psychology of hope and virtue.