The world religions proclaim prosocial values (Habito & Inaba, 2006), but it is still unclear whether these values translate into behaviors (Ellens, 2007) and whether they are really altruistic (Neusner & Chilton, 2005). Religious and atheist individuals have diverging opinions regarding whether or not religion promotes altruism. Historical and contemporary evidence seems to provide testimony in favor of both sides: Religious charity and religious violence have coexisted, in parallel or intertwined. Asking the same question from a psychological perspective implies the need to focus on people’s specific cognitions, emotions, and behaviors relating to altruism and the way these are influenced by, or possibly influence, religion. Interestingly, almost all classic theorists (James, Freud, Skinner, Erikson, and Allport) and contemporary evolutionary scholars underline the positive connection between religion and altruism, although each approaches this issue from a different theoretical perspective (for a review, see Saroglou, 2006a). Yet, religious beliefs, psychological theory, and empirical research are different, sometimes conflicting, things. In the present chapter, a brief overview of the psychology of altruism and prosocial behavior (concepts, models, and research traditions) will first be provided. Afterward, the chapter will present a synthesis of the empirical research on religion (including spirituality) and prosociality, with an emphasis on the past 15 years (for an earlier review, see Batson, Schoenrade, & Ventis, 1993). Consistent with the integrative paradigm of this handbook (see Chapter 1 in this volume), distinctions will be made between different levels of analysis (personality, behavior, and underlying processes), dimensions of religion, and types of prosocial behavior. When possible, information will be provided on group-level factors and cross-religious differences, and questions for future research will arise. The conclusion will provide a synthesis of the main lines of knowledge and consider the implications for scholars and practitioners.
Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 158 citations exist upstream.