The role of a spiritual or religious struggle in the path to finding meaning in life
Abstract
The focus of this study was to explore if a person’s religious or spiritual struggle strengthens the relationship between the presence of meaning in life and their religious and spiritual orientation. The primary hypothesis for this study was that a religious or spiritual struggle would directly predict meaning in life, mediating the effect of spirituality and religiousness on meaning in life. It was also hypothesized that a person’s awareness and closeness to God and religiousness would have a direct influence on religious and spiritual struggle and meaning in life. The sample included 239 college students who attended Tennessee State University in the Spring of 2009. In order to obtain adequate information on religiosity, spirituality, and meaning in life, a number of instruments were selected for inclusion in this study. Unique personal information was obtained through a demographic questionnaire. Results indicated that it was not necessary to experience a religious or spiritual struggle in order to derive meaning in your life. These findings were consistent with previous research. Implications for this investigation are discussed in terms of the how this information can affect psychotherapy. Recommendations for future research are suggested.
Subject Area
Religion|Psychology|Spirituality
Recommended Citation
Selina M Hill,
"The role of a spiritual or religious struggle in the path to finding meaning in life"
(2010).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI3407792.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3407792