This volume addresses an important problem in social scientific research on global religions and spirituality: How to evaluate the role of diverse religious and spiritual (R/S) beliefs and practices within the rapid evolution of spiritual globalization and diversification trends. The book examines this question by bringing together a panel of international scholars including psychologists, sociologists, and researchers in religious studies, public health, medicine, and social work. The content includes chapters describing innovative concepts of post-Christian spirituality, Eastern forms of meditation, afterlife beliefs associated with the three dominant cultural legacies, various non-religious worldviews, spiritual Jihad, and secular and religious reverence. The book also covers such important themes as spiritual well-being, faith, struggle, meaning making, modeling, and support, as well as mysticism and using prayer to cope with existential crises. This book advances theunderstanding of the role of R/S across different faiths and cultural systems, including both Western and non-Western ones, and enriches the mainstream of psychological sciences and practices. It appeals to students, educators, researchers, and clinicians in multiple related fields and disciplines.

Is the only book focusing on the measurement of diverse religions and spirituality

Chapter 1. Mainstreaming the Assessment of Diverse Religions and Spirituality in Psychology (Scott Richards).- Chapter 2. The Connection of Soul Scale and Prediction for Psychological Wellbeing (Amy L. Ai).- Chapter 3. Spiritual Struggle (SS): A Bifactor Model, Plus Measurement Invariance Tests for Nonbelievers (Nick Stauner).- Chapter 4. The Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSRFQ) (Thomas G. Plante).- Chapter 5. Assessing the Sense of Reverence (SOR) in Contexts: A Positive Emotion Related to Psychological Functioning (Amy L. Ai).- Chapter 6. The Spiritual Modeling Self-Efficacy, Stand-Alone (SMSE-SA) scale (Doug Oman).- Chapter 7. The Spiritual and Religious Antagonism Scale (SARAS): Examining Biases to Religious and Spiritual Beliefs in Comparing Clinicians and College Students (Dominick A. Scalise).- Chapter 8. The Measurement of Diverse Adolescent Spirituality (MDAS) Among Mexican Youth (Pamela E. King).- Chapter 9. Multidimensional Self-Report Measuresof Spirituality: Compare and Contrast of the Spiritual Orientation Inventory (SOI) and the Expressions of Spirituality Inventory (ESI) (Aryeh Lazar).- Chapter 10. Assessing Religions and Spirituality in a Diversified World: Towards an Integrative Paradigm (Christine Agaibi, M.A.).