Article Abstracts
June 2007, Vol. 48 Issue 4

Spirituality and Psychological Well-Being:
A Mediator-Moderator Study

Basil Fiorito
Kathleen Ryan
California Polytechnic State University

Research on the relationship between religiosity and psychological well-being is increasingly focused on identifying aspects of religious/spiritual involvement that have a beneficial effect on mental health and those that do not. This study examined the religion-well being link within a spiritual means-ends motivational framework utilizing two means dimensions and five ends dimensions. Both moderation and mediation effects were examined using regression analyses with a six-factor model of well-being (Ryff and Keyes 1995). Results indicated that spiritual means and ends variables have good ability to predict aspects of spiritual goals that may enhance or harm psychological well-being. Results also confirmed the ability of spiritual means to moderate the relationship between spiritual goals and well-being. Finally, examination of mediation effects revealed that only devotional means mediates the spiritual goals - well-being relationship. Overall, the study demonstrated the utility of a means-ends framework for identifying relevant spiritual variables to add to our understanding of the religion-mental health link.

The Effects of Authoritarianism, Religiousity, and “New Age” Beliefs on Support for Democracy: Unraveling the Strands

Daphna Canetti-Nisim
Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi
University of Haifa

We examined the associations between religious beliefs, “New Age” beliefs, authoritarianism, and endorsement of democratic values among Jewish respondents in Israel. Findings obtained via structural equation modeling show that a) religious individuals are generally drawn to “New Age” beliefs, b) while authoritarians are likely to espouse undemocratic attitudes whether they are religious or not, religious people are unlikely to hold undemocratic attitudes unless they espouse authoritarian worldviews, and c) “New Age” beliefs may slightly reduce authoritarian tendencies, increasing support for democracy. These findings clarify the relationship between “New Age” beliefs and traditional religiosity, and the effects of “New Age” beliefs on support for democracy.

Religious Affiliation and Aids-Based Discrimination in Sub-Saharan Africa

Mark D. Regnerus
Viviana Salinas
University of Texas at Austin

Considerable stigma is attached to HIV/AIDS in various parts of sub-Saharan Africa, in spite of high seroprevalence rates. Stigma in turn often fosters discriminatory actions toward HIV-positive persons. Some of the blame for perpetuating stigma and failing to curb discrimination continues to fall upon organized religion (Christianity and Islam), which remains a central institution in many Africans’ lives and tends to advocate sexual conservatism. However, little systematic empirical evidence exists to support the suggestion that religion breeds discrimination and stigma about HIV/AIDS. Drawing upon Demographic and Health Survey data from six sub-Saharan countries with elevated HIV infection rates, we evaluate the effect of religious affiliation on different forms of AIDS-based discrimination, paying close attention to possible confounding effects. In most analyses, religious affiliation is unrelated to discriminating against persons-with-AIDS after accounting for ethnicity—a far more robust predictor of discrimination than is religion. Where affiliation does remain significant, Muslims and people who practice other non-Christian religious traditions tend to report more discriminatory attitudes.

Research Note:
Christian Denominational Political Action on the Subject of Homosexuality

Fred van Geest
Dordt College

The political involvement of Christian denominations in the last several decades has been shaped by a number of factors, such as the agendas particular denominations choose to pursue, whether issues are defined as moral or political ones, independent clergy activity, opinion gaps between elites and lay people, interaction with special interest groups, and the presence of inter-denominational coalitions. This research note summarizes the public policy positions taken on the subject of homosexuality for the twenty-five largest denominations in North America, as well as additional denominations represented by the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Council of Christian Churches, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and the Canadian Council of Churches. The paper also reports the strategies and tactics used, and how the denominations’ political activity compares with previous patterns of engagement.

An Assessment of Pastoral Counseling Courses in Seminaries Serving Evangelical Baptist Students

Michael W. Firmin
Cedarville University

Mark Tedford
University of Cincinnati

The present study examined the amount of pastoral counselling courses required and offered by Master of Divinity (M.Div.) students from 31 evangelical seminaries which have traditionally served evangelical, Baptist students. In light of survey studies concluding that pastors report feeling inadequate to function as counsellors, we expected to find that seminaries require little formal counselling training. Congruently, none of the seminaries required more than 6 semester hours of counselling training, and the majority required 3 hours or fewer. We recommend further studies which include evangelical seminaries of various denominations.

Information Resources of Elite Ministry Professionals

Jerry Z. Park
Cara R. Taylor
Baylor University

This study investigates the information acquisition and reading habits of a sample of elite religious professionals drawn from recipients of the Louisville Institute’s pastoral sabbatical program. We asked them about what sources they use to obtain information for ministry purposes, in addition to the genres of periodicals and books they read. We found that elite clergy access the internet more so than the general population. Even in this sample of elite clergy, we found some residual racial and gender differences in information source use and reading patterns. Nonwhite elite clergy access information through television news more so than whites, while female elite clergy access a wider array of information sources than males. Nonwhite and female respondents read from fewer genres of books and periodicals but varied in the composition of their reading habits compared to their white and male counterparts. Suggestions for further research follow.