A Marriage of Happiness and Religious Beliefs in a Nutshell

Abstract

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to examine the relationship between happiness and religious beliefs. THE RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND METHODS: The research problem is contained in the question: What is the relationship between happiness and religious beliefs in the light of the theoretical- cognitive analysis? The literature on the subject was analyzed. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The analysis of the literature relevant to the subject began with selected approaches to happiness, among others in relation to positive psychology. Next, the researcher referred to category – religious beliefs, and finally, the relationship between two the analyzed categories was examined. The process concluded with forensic attention that was focused on the conclusions resulting from this analysis. RESEARCH RESULTS: Happiness, determined by many factors, including essentially a person’s personality and the events that occur in his /her life, is linked to the religious beliefs. Religious people tend to be happy more than those without beliefs. Thus, it can be implied that there is a correlation between the categories: religious beliefs and happiness. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The conducted analysis of the research subject, eliciting aspects of positive psychology such as happiness, the sense of meaning in life, indicated an important factor shaping positive attitudes towards the life trajectory, which are religious beliefs. This issue should be dealt with in the future in the context of shaping a mature human personality, which is undoubtedly influenced by religious beliefs and their quality considered in the category of the quality of spiritual life, and the quality of life, in general.