Exploring the value of interpretative pluralism in qualitative psychological studies of religious/spiritual issues: Principles and practicalities.

Very recently, questions have been raised about what might be overlooked in psychological studies that adhere rigidly to one qualitative method. Consequently, the adoption of a pluralist interpretative stance has been advocated within qualitative psychology. This involves examining the same data through a range of analytic lenses to extract maximum ‘analytic value’. This paper reflects upon the principles of interpretative pluralism and examines its practical value in qualitative psychological work on religious/spiritual issues, drawing upon two studies which used a pluralist stance. One study examined reports from people who claimed to have experienced the presence of someone who had died; it considered how these accounts might be understood. The other study focused on ethical and boundary issues in accounts of practice provided by counsellors who were employed within their churches to provide counselling services to other members of the congregation. Both studies interpreted accounts primarily in qualified phenomenological ways but, when adopting a social constructionist stance, they discerned consistent rhetorical business around the establishment of credibility and the deflection of non-desired versions of events. The paper considers how interpretative pluralism might be especially useful in psychological research on religion and spirituality, while noting further developmental work that is needed