God and Psychology: How the Early Religious Development of Famous Psychologists Influenced their Work

Review
Drawing from biographers and original works, Parker offers a rare and revealing analysis of how religion—through culture and personal experience—came to influence five of the world's most renowned psychologists and their momentous contributions to the field. An intriguing read for all interested in psychology and religion. -- W. Paul Williamson, Henderson State University
Parker, with a sharp eye for detail, paints a captivating picture of the religious impact on the lives of psychology's seminal founders. These little-known stories that shaped an emerging discipline are insightful and riveting to read.
-- Mark Newmeyer, Concordia University
In God and Psychology, Parker has gone far beyond previous, cursory reviews of the influence religion has wielded in the lives of theoretical giants in psychology—Freud, Jung, Skinner, Erikson, and Rogers. His focus on these five great contributors to the field allows him to dig deep into their development, the philosophical and theological streams that colored their ideas, as well as seminal incidents in each of their lives that Joseph Lichtenberg (2008) described as ‘model scenes’ that set a template throughout the theorists' lives. For those who seek a deeper understanding of the interweaving of religious experience and life trajectory, Parker's book is a must read. Thoroughly researched and thoroughly accessible. Kudos!
-- Marie T. Hoffman, author of When the Roll Is Called: Trauma and the Soul of American Evangelicalism
God and Psychology: How the Early Religious Development of Famous Psychologists Influenced their Work examines the impact their religious background had on the lives and work of several famous psychologists. These are fascinating stories often overlooked in the biography of these thinkers. Drawing from autobiographical and biographical materials, this book demonstrates how the impact of these early exposures to religion linger in the writings and actions of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Erik Erikson, B.F. Skinner, and Carl Rogers in both explicit and indirect ways. This book will be of interest to anyone interested in the intersection of psychology and religion.