Religion as a Meaning System: Implications for the New Millennium

2005/11/16 by Israela Silberman · 5 citations
Social Sciences · #Religion and Society Interactions #Religion, Society, and Development #Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology

paper · doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.2005.00425.x

openalex publication_date 2005/11/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27

Abstract

Every human action, ranging from benevolence to inhumane violence has been justified in the name of religion, which has been a pervasive feature of human life throughout history. This article describes religion as a meaning system that is unique in centering on what is perceived as sacred, and in its special ability to address the quest for meaning. The article recommends the meaning system approach for the study of religion, suggesting that this approach can illuminate the resiliency of religion, and its complicated relations with individual and societal well‐being. It describes the outline of the volume, and concludes with recommendations for research, education, and policies in the arena of religion that can facilitate well‐being in the new millennium.

Citations

• Religion as a Meaning‐Making Framework in Coping with Life Stress
• Religion, Meaning, and Prejudice
• Striving for the Sacred: Personal Goals, Life Meaning, and Religion
• Positive psychology: An introduction.
• Religion and Conflict in Marital and Parent‐Child Relationships
• The Religious Context of Prejudice
• Positive psychology: An introduction.
• The self and social behavior in differing cultural contexts.
• Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation.
• The Interdependence of Israeli and Palestinian National Identities: The Role of the Other in Existential Conflicts

Cited by

• Religion as a Meaning‐Making Framework in Coping with Life Stress
• Religion, Meaning, and Prejudice
• Religion and Conflict in Marital and Parent‐Child Relationships
• Rest for Your Souls? Religion, Meaning, and Purpose in Life, and Sleep Quality in the United States
• Spiritual transformation [wikipedia]

Related

• Religion: A Very Short Introduction
• Religion as a Meaning‐Making Framework in Coping with Life Stress
• Understanding sacred objects: towards and anthroologucal theory of religious meaning
• Religion's Role in Societal Power: Expanding Perspectives on Religion's Individual, Interpersonal, and Intergroup Functions
• The Varieties of Sacred Experience: Finding the Sacred in a Secular Grove