Proceedings of the Positive Psychology 2.0 International Conference 2025 (PP 2.0 2025)

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Existentially Resilient Religion

Authors
Daryl R. Tongeren1, *
1Hope College, Holland, MI, United States
*Corresponding author. Email: vantongeren@hope.edu
Corresponding Author
Daryl R. Tongeren
Available Online 29 December 2025.
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6463-954-4_3How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Existential; Religion; Resilient; Suffering
Abstract

The current chapter examines the role of religion in providing meaning and managing existential concerns amid suffering. From the lens of Positive Psychology 2.0, I introduce the concept of existentially resilient religion, and offer a framework for understanding how religion can help individuals metabolize suffering, cultivate meaning, and experience flourishing amid the various seasons of life. Specifically, suffering exposes existential realities, which are often addressed through the reliance on systems of meaning, known as cultural worldviews. Religion is well-suited to address core existential concerns and provide meaning. An existentially resilient religion is positioned to help individuals navigate future suffering and is marked by acceptance rather than avoidance, a richer understanding of grief, a humble response to threatening information, a relational orientation, and pathways for transcendent connection. Over time, such a religious orientation offers a deep existential hope. Future empirical work on these topics is encouraged.

Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the Positive Psychology 2.0 International Conference 2025 (PP 2.0 2025)
Series
Atlantis Highlights in Social Sciences, Education and Humanities
Publication Date
29 December 2025
ISBN
978-94-6463-954-4
ISSN
2667-128X
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6463-954-4_3How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Daryl R. Tongeren
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/29
TI  - Existentially Resilient Religion
BT  - Proceedings of the Positive Psychology 2.0 International Conference 2025 (PP 2.0 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 12
EP  - 24
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-954-4_3
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-954-4_3
ID  - Tongeren2025
ER  -