Meaning as a Framework for Integrating Positive Psychology and the Psychology of Religiousness and Spirituality

Both the subfields of positive psychology (PP) and the psychology of religiousness and spirituality (PRS) are producing interesting, relevant, and impactful research, but very little integration of this research occurs between these subfields. We propose that a meaning system framework may be useful in unifying science and practice at the intersection of PP and PRS. In this chapter, we describe this meaning systems framework and summarize each subfield’s key meaning-related areas of focus, methods, and applications. We then highlight the convergences and divergences in these key areas of both subfields. We conclude that meaning is a unifying construct around which future theory and empirical research on PP and PRS can coalesce, and we propose some specific directions for a fruitful integration of these two subfields.