Religion in Gerontological Research, Training and Practice

Abstract

Religion has played a minor role in gerontological research to explain the aging process, in teaching about the social psychological behavior of normal aging, and in the aging network as a source of social psychological support of older people. It took the budget cuts of the 1980s to arouse the interest of the aging network in religious organizations as a major source (of resources) available to help continue their programs and services. Agencies faced with the necessity of developing cooperative programs with churches/synagogues found they had little research information or staff specialists in agency and church programming to guide them. The treatment of religion by gerontologists is not consonant with the importance that older people place on religion in their lives. No other social institution outside the family in American society is more pervasive in the lives of older people than the church/synagogue. Furthermore, the involvement has been a long one. Social activity in religious context rates high in importance for most elderly and contributes to their life satisfaction and personal adjustment to old age. Two levels of religion are involved in gerontological research, teaching/curriculum and practice: the individual and organizational.