Psychopathology and Religion

Damian Janus draws on his clinical experience to address the relationship between psychopathology and religion. Using clinical vignettes and religious concepts, Janus questions common understandings of mental disorders.

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In this book, Damian Janus examines the connections between psychopathological phenomena and religion. Janus contends that there are certain factors—fear of death, desire for power and longevity, and need for predictability of life and longing for care—which reside within the framework of religion and mental disorders. These factors shape the psychopathological image and contribute to the genesis of religiosity. He explores this contention in his analysis of various mental disorders (neuroses, personality disorders, dissociative disorders, psychoses, eating disorders) and symptoms (delusions, hallucinations, self-destructive behaviors), as well as more common psychological phenomena. This book is recommended for scholars of psychology, religion, and philosophy as well as psychotherapists.