Building Bridges, Not Walls: Psychology and Neighbor Love

"Religion can be leveraged as a motivator to love all well, or as a way to draw boundaries around who to love and who not to love. It is when religion is used to build walls and craft an overly narrow definition of 'neighbor' that it tends to inflict the most harm. When religion is used to underscore the dignity and worth of all human beings, that is when there is the greatest potential for religious traditions to fuel the prosocial behavior necessary for individual and communal flourishing."

"Communities can foreground religious teachings that affirm 'compassionate love for all humanity,' which is to say the value and dignity of all people. Alongside these teachings, it is helpful to regularly ask, Who is missing from our definition of neighbor? or Who is absent from our gatherings? Such honest questions help reveal who may not feel seen as a 'neighbor to be loved.'"

Religious traditions hold potential to deepen interpersonal connections and kindness across cultural differences by combining psychological and theological insights. Religion functions as either a motivator for loving all people or as a tool for drawing boundaries around who deserves love. When religion builds walls and creates narrow definitions of neighbor, it inflicts harm. Conversely, when religious teachings underscore the dignity and worth of all human beings, they fuel prosocial behavior necessary for flourishing. Psychological research identifies solutions: communities can foreground teachings emphasizing compassionate love for all humanity and regularly examine who remains absent from their definitions of neighbor and gatherings, revealing those who may not feel seen as worthy of love.

Read at Psychology Today