Between Feast and Famine: A Sketch of the Development of the Psychology of Religion in The Netherlands

Abstract

Although it initially encountered suspicion and distrust, today the psychology of religion holds a prominent place in The Netherlands. A brief review of its history shows the increasing integration of the psychology of religion into Dutch departments of theology. One of the main factors in the process seems to have been psychology's assumed practical applicability: Psychology was deemed helpful in understanding the religious subject and equipping pastors with appropriate techniques. This article deals briefly with a number of internal developments in the psychology of religion in The Netherlands and offers observations on whether the process described can be regarded as a "psychologizing" of theology.