Call for Papers for a Special Section of the Journal of Family Psychology: Spirituality and Religion in Family Life
May 3, 2013 - submission deadline
This special section of the Journal of Family Psychology aims to stimulate the breadth and depth of rigorous scientific studies on the interface of faith and family life. Recent reviews demonstrate that spirituality and religion remain relevant to contemporary families, but critical gaps in the research literature compromise a balanced or deep understanding how faith operates in a family context (see Mahoney, Swank & Tarakeshwar, 2001; Mahoney, 2010; Mahoney, in press).
For example, repeated studies suggest that higher religious attendance and salience helps to form (e.g., marital unions) and maintain (e.g., lowers divorce risk) traditional family bonds. But scarce research exists on specific positive or negative roles that spirituality and religion may play in families, especially in nontraditional or distressed families.
To help address these gaps, we invite papers that address any of the following ways in which specific spiritual cognitions and behaviors centered on family life may:
help or harm relational and individual adjustment, including, but not limited to, the sanctification of an aspect of family life, prayer for a family member, positive religiousspiritual coping strategies to cope with family issues, spiritual struggles or negative religiousspiritual coping tied to family difficulties, and perceiving negative family events as a sacred loss andor desecration.facilitate or undermine the formation and maintenance of diverse types of families (e.g., cohabiting unions with and without children, same-sex couples with and without children, blended, foster, adoptive, and multi-generational families).be part of the problem or solution in coping with family-related distress. This includes, but is not limited to, difficulties in the formation (e.g., unwanted singlehood or cohabitation, unintended pregnancy, infertility) and maintenance (e.g., coping with infidelity, partner or parent-child violence, chronic relational conflict, divorce, or a family member who has medical, mental health, or developmental problems) of family relationships.
Questions about the special section can be addressed to the section editors, Annmarie Cano, PhD or Annette Mahoney, PhD.
Submit manuscripts through the Journal of Family Psychology portal no later than May 3, 2013 and please note that the submission is for this special section.
