ALLPORT LECTURES ON PSYCHOLOGY OF FAITH

Psychology is not necessarily inimical to religion, G. W. Allport '19, Assistant Professor of Psychology, declared in a speech at Phillips Brooks House yesterday afternoon. "Some of the roots of religion are found in the familiar psychological phenomena of suggestibility, fear mob psychology, and six. Knowledge of these roots of religion nourishes doubt and suspicion rather than faith and belief. Familiarity with these roots probably accounts for the fact that psychologists as a class are notoriously irreligious. Whereas 37 per cent of the physicists in Who's who are members of religious denominations, only 16 par cent of psychologists listed are members. Also students and the public see these roots and nothing more and think psychology inimical to religion.

"But there are other neglected functions of the mind which are also roots of religion. The religious attitude is defined as the striving of an individual to relate himself with an all embracing totality. Defined in this way, a naturalistic and scientific approach to religion is not unfriendly to religious faith."