Fundamentalism- Religious

 

Religious Fundamentalism is a concept in the psychology of religion that has been defined in different ways but generally refers to a set of religious beliefs based on literal to near literal interpretations of sacred texts.

In the United States where most religious people are Christian, the history of fundamentalism appeared as a protest against the teachings of religious scholars who employed methods of critical analysis of the Bible. This critical method known as higher criticism, occurred at a time when conservative Christians were also concerned about the science of evolution and its apparent contradiction of the Genesis creation text.

Behavioral scientists began looking for ways to broaden the concept of fundamentalism beyond lists of orthodox beliefs. Researchers focused on findings of militancy and authoritarianism in their samples (e.g., Altemyer and Hunsberger). Others focused on a literal interpretation of scriptures and some psychologists also looked at intelligence and personality traits associated with people considered fundamentalists.

 In 2005, psychological scientists, Ralph Hood, Peter Hill, and Paul Williamson, observed that some religious groups were not militant unless faced with a threat. And that even then, some groups like the Amish, remained nonviolent. They also reported research that did not support authoritarianism. In fact, personality factors seemed weak at best. Their idea: Fundamentalism can be explained by the principle of intratextuality.

The principle of intratextuality states that fundamentalists derive truth from God via their sacred text and they rely solely upon various parts of the text to interpret other parts of the text. For example, Christian fundamentalists who want to understand God’s plan for marriage will rely solely on the books of the Protestant Bible rather than external sources of knowledge such as psychology. To understand a passage about marriage in one book within the Bible, they will examine other portions of the Bible for teachings about marriage. 

In contrast, nonfundamentalist Christians search for truth using an intertextual method. Nonfundamentalists will consider the sacred text in light of science, history, archaeology, anthropology, and scholarly research. Nonfundamentalists respect the sacred text and still consider it privileged and even crucial to consult before reaching a conclusion about a moral approach or stance toward some social policy. In Christianity, the view people take toward the Bible distinguishes a Fundamentalist from an Evangelical or a Progressive.

FIVE DIMENSIONS OF INTRATEXTUALITY

 

Initially, Williamson and others (2010) considered six dimensions of intratextuality. They developed a measurement scale, and based on cross-cultural research, they found five items useful in identifying five dimensions – Five perspectives on the sacred text. The principle of intratextuality is not just about Christianity. The items were written in such a way as to apply to other world religions. Here are the five dimensions.

1. Divine: The sacred text is a revelation from God (or of divine origin) to humans. Regardless of the involvement of people in the writing of the text, God (or a deity) is the author.
2. Inerrant: The sacred text does not contain errors, inconsistencies, or contradictions. The text is objectively true.
3. Privileged: The sacred text of the fundamentalist group is not just another sacred writing. It is the truth. Fundamentalists may show respect to people from other religions and their sacred writings but they do not consider other texts to be on the same level as their own text.
4. Authoritative:  The sacred text is the final authority. If a conflict in belief arises, the sacred text wins.
5. Unchanging: The sacred text is unchangeable and true for eternity. The truths are absolutes. The truths can be depended on to understand the world and as a guide for life.

 

Related Concepts

Selective Fundamentalism

Selective fundamentalism refers to a type of Intratextual fundamentalism that insists on reading some texts as literally true but not others.

 

Fact Fundamentalism

Fact fundamentalism is a concept attributed by Marcus Borg to Huston Smith. Fact fundamentalists may be religious fundamentalists who insist on reading the statements found in their texts as historically accurate facts. Ironically, religious critics may also be fact fundamentalists when they also take the view that unless something in a religious text is a historical fact then it is not true. Borg’s point is that truth should not be limited to historical facts but that truth can be found in metaphors as well.

Measuring Fundamentalism

 

Psychology of Religion researchers have developed scales to measure religious fundamentalism and related concepts. I have written about these elsewhere. Here I list the measures and provide links to those measures.

Biblical Literalism Scale

Intratextual Fundamentalism Scale (IFS)

 

References

Altemeyer, B., & Hunsberger, B. (2005). Fundamentalism and authoritarianism. In R.F. Paloutzian, & C.L. Park (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of religion and spirituality (pp. 378–393). New York: Guilford Press.

Hood, R.W., Jr., Hill, P.C., & Spilka, B. (2009). The psychology of religion: An empirical approach (4th ed). New York: Guilford. [ Link to the 5th Edition]

Hood, R.W., Jr., Hill, P.C., & Williamson, W.P. (2005). The psychology of religious fundamentalism. New York: Guilford.  [On Amazon - A key reference to the model]

Kelly, H.L., Sutton, G. W, Hicks, L., Godfrey, A. & Gillihan, C. (2018). Factors predicting the moral appraisal of sexual behavior in Christians. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 37, (2), 162-177. [Use of the IFS in research]     Academia Link     ResearchGate Link  

Marsden, G.M. (1980). Fundamentalism and American culture: The shaping of twentieth century Evangelicalism 1870–1925. New York: Oxford University Press. [Link to 3rd Edition]

Marty, M.E., & Appleby, R.S. (Eds.). (1991–1995). The fundamentalism project (Vols 1–5). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Sutton, G. W. (2016). A House Divided: Sexuality, morality, and Christian cultures. Eugene, OR: Pickwick. ISBN: 9781498224888  [An application of intratextual fundamentalism to understanding Christian morality]

Sutton, G. W., Arnzen, C., & Kelly, H. (2016). Christian counseling and psychotherapy: Components of clinician spirituality that predict type of Christian intervention. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 35, 204-214.  [Use of the IFS in a counseling study.]   Academia Link      ResearchGate Link

Sutton, G. W., Kelly, H., Worthington, E. L. Jr., Griffin, B. J., & Dinwiddie, C. (2018) Satisfaction with Christian Psychotherapy and Well-being: Contributions of Hope, Personality, and Spirituality. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 5 (1), 8-24, doi: 10.1037/scp0000145    [Use of the IFS in research]     Academia Link      ResearchGate Link

Williamson, W.P., Hood, R. W. Jr., Ahmad, A., Sadiq, M., Y Hill, P.C. (2010). The intratextual fundamentalism scale: cross-cultural application, validity evidence, and relationship with religious orientation and the Big 5 factor markers. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 13, 721-747.

AMAZON LINK

A HOUSE DIVIDED on AMAZON

Fundamentalism and American Culture 3rd Ed.

 

SCOPES Model of Human Functioning

The SCOPES model organizes information about human functioning in six domains commonly discussed in psychological research and clinical practice. The SCOPES model also helps researchers and clinicians organize tests or questionnaires that measure different dimensions of functioning.

When clinicians organize patient information using the SCOPES model, or a similar holistic model, they may be able to help patients select treatment strategies that address multiple areas related to the primary concern or diagnosis. 

For example, clinicians know that depression  may affect many areas of functioning. The SCOPES model is one way to consider the impact of depression on multiple areas of functioning such as distressing thoughts (C), feelings (E), behavior patterns (O: e.g., avoidance of engaging activities), physiological symptoms (P: e.g., appetite, sleep, sex), and Social Context (S: e.g., relationships that may help or worsen symptoms). Finally, clinicians and patients may consider core effects on the self (S) where self-esteem and self-identity may be negatively affected by depression. When applicable, treatments may include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, physical activity, increasing social connections, and medication.

Focusing on only one dimension of human functioning can lead to unrealistic views if we forget that each dimension of functioning interacts with the others. For example, our memories of important people from childhood are part of cognition but affect our emotions, behavior, and even our physiological reactions. Memories are part of our self-identity and may affect our spirituality too. Finally, our memories can be triggered by events in our social context like a photograph, a trip to our home town, or a movie.

                                 THE SIX COMPONENTS OF THE SCOPES MODEL

S   SELF-IDENTITY

Self-identity is a composite of several broad core features (see COPE below) that we recognize as who we are. We usually have more than one identity based on our roles in life (e.g., spouse/partner, parent, child, supervisor), personal characteristics (e.g., degree of fitness, health, intelligence, attractiveness, age), and groups (e.g., political, interest, sports fan, religious). One or a few identities stand out as highly important such as spiritual identity (see below), gender identity, or identities linked to subjectively important life roles (e.g., parent, doctor, grandparent, spouse).

We project ourselves to others through our core dimensions of expressed thoughts (cognition), feelings (emotion), observable behaviors (personality traits), and observed physical attributes. We may express our selves differently in different social contexts.

One multidimensional model that organizes several features of the self is the tetrapartite model (Cheek & Cheek, 2018). The model organizes over 40 potential aspects of identity into four categories of self-identity: personal, relational, collective, public. 

One of my research interests is in the psychology of religion and spirituality so let me give an example of  the spiritual aspect of identity. Spirituality includes religious and other ways people find meaning in life. Most organized religious faiths include a set of specific beliefs and prescribed practices but these are integrated with each person’s spiritual experience. For example, a person’s dreams and visions, and culture influence how they pray and what they identify as right and wrong. Atheists and those with nontraditional spirituality may describe meaningful experiences in the beauty of nature and music. For some, the spiritual dimension is so vital to their identity that it dominates their clothing choices, communicated beliefs, daily practices like prayer, interactions with others, music they enjoy, and what they eat or refuse to eat.

Following is an illustration of the SCOPES model where the primary self-identity is spiritual and they have a particular religious or spiritual worldview.

Examples of Test Related to the Self Domain

 

 Self-concept scales

 Self-esteem scales

 Self-efficacy scales

 Spirituality and religiosity scales

 Gender Identity scales

C   COGNITION

It doesn’t take long to form an impression of a person’s general intelligence. Sometimes we are awed and sometimes—not so much. But there’s more to cognition than solving problems on intelligence tests. We can include many neuropsychological processes such as memory, attention and concentration, language skills, and visual-spatial skills as well as cognitive biases and prejudices. 

Some aspects of cognition have a huge impact on identity such as extreme deficits in attention span, incredible ability to solve complex problems, or persistent declines in memory for self and others.

Examples of Test Related to the Cognitive Domain

  Tests of intelligence

  Tests of achievement

  Tests of language and verbal skills

  Tests of creativity

  Tests of memory

   Mental status exams

O   OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OR PERSONALITY

I used the letter O so it works with the acrostic. Essentially, people may be described in terms of a few or many durable traits like the famous Big Five listed below. 

Openness: intelligent, imaginative, insightful
Conscientious: organized, thorough, planners
Extraversion: talkative, outgoing, energetic, assertive; contrasted with introversion
Agreeable: forgiving, sympathetic, kind, affectionate
Neuroticism (v. stability) tense, moody, anxious

There are other traits or characteristics that may be added like dominance and psychopathy. People are different. We usually act in fairly predictable ways--habit patterns and traits that are part of who we are. For example, we may be known to ourselves and others as agreeable or shy.

Examples of Test Related to the Observable Behavior or Personality Domain

  Tests of personality e.g.,   Big Five,    HEXACO,    16PF

   VIA Inventory of Strengths

 

  Behavioral observations

  

 Tests of various traits e.g., leadership, narcissism, psychopathology

P   PHYSIOLOGY OR BIOLOGY

We all come with bodies and many of us with less than culturally desirable bodies protest that we are more than mere bodies. We want to be known for what’s "inside". Nevertheless, our physiology is a critical part of who we are. Drives for hunger, thirst, sleep, and sex vary from person to person and those biological factors vary for each of us during a day, week, or year. Measures of biological status can change and influence other aspects of who we are- height, weight, blood pressure, and more. Biology shapes our identity and we influence our biology and that of others.

We know that despite protests, people think of others in terms of a biological factors like blindness or deafness or another challenge. I am deaf in my left ear, but I did not think of myself as hearing impaired until I began to have difficulty hearing with my right ear. Now I wear a hearing aid. Some have a mental health diagnosis and are referred to by that diagnosis such as alcoholics or Schizophrenics. Some are known by a disease they have or survived such as cancer. One aspect of our entire personal identity can be a physiological status that is defining or confining. We know that we and others are more than a biological fact but somehow, we often fail to think beyond the “P” dimension. Physiology is a powerful part of self-identity.

Examples of Test Related to biopsychology

  Tests of motor functioning e.g., grip strength, finger tapping

  Tests of brain functioning e.g., MRI, EEG

  Various lab tests (e.g., blood, urine) detecting factors affecting the other domains

  Tests of stress that include biopsychological symptoms

  Questionnaires about sexual functioning

  Questionnaires about alcohol and other drugs

  Questionnaires about sleep, diet, and other health habits affecting other domains

E   EMOTIONS or feelings

Our emotions influence our identity and our judgments about others. There are many ways to show our emotions. Psychological scientists disagree on what may constitute core emotions. As a psychologist, I was tuned in to sadness, anxiety, and anger as well as joy and a sense of calm. More common emotions include fear, worry, hate, guilt, and that complex we call love. Feelings are critical to understanding who we are and why people do what they do. In some cases, our feelings can represent an important part of our identity as in I am a happy person despite times of sadness. And sometimes an "emotional identity" is less desirable.

Examples of Tests Related to the Emotional Domain

  Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)

  State Joy Scale

  Anger Scales

  Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS)

S   SOCIAL -- OUR SPACE-TIME CONTEXT

The people in our lives and where we live out our day-to-day existence influences who we are even as we influence others. Our personal timeline is a factor too. We and others see common threads of who we are since childhood but we also see changes. Looking back, we may see events, people, or places that resulted in major changes in who we are today. Like many immigrants, the move from one country to another was a big deal for me and my parents. 

Our relationships matter. Relationships affect our spiritual faith, thoughts, feelings, behavior patterns and even our health. A recently divorced cantankerous fifty-year old man with a history of alcohol abuse may feel anger, distress, and worry. A 35 year-old woman may feel happy and enjoy a sense of freedom as she boards a cruise with a friend. People are different in their relationships. Some feel liberated by divorce whilst others feel devastated. Some worry about finding a mate whilst others intentionally live a single life. Some prefer frequent interaction with friends whilst others require large periods of aloneness.

The people we identify as "my people" or "my family" and places (e.g., my hometown, my country) and epochs of time (I grew up in the 50s and 60s) may also be a part of our identity.

Examples of Tests Related to the Social Domain

  Tests of relationships at home, work, places of worship, and other social settings

    e.g., Marital Satisfaction,             Parent-child Relationship Scale

  Tests of organizational relationships e.g., climate, trust, etc.

  

  Tests measuring relational concepts such as forgiveness and reconciliation

SCOPES and HUMAN NATURE

The SCOPES model is a way of organizing information about ourselves and others. It is a way of recognizing we are complex beings who change in many ways. We respond to others and our environments in ways that change us. And we have an effect on others and our environment. At any given point, a few dimensions may be more important than others such as when we feel depressed at the loss of a loved one or joyful when we celebrate a birthday.

We should also be aware that activity in one or two dimensions affects the other dimensions even when we are not aware of the effects. A loud noise like a gunshot can produce fear, thoughts of safety, memories of past terror, crouching behavior, increased heart rate and even a cry for divine intervention.

Read More

I have included specific names of more tests in the research text, Creating Surveys used in universities and by individuals.

I have applied the SCOPES model to analyzing moral-social judgments in A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures 

The SCOPES model also forms a basis for organizing research in the text:  Counseling and Psychotherapy with Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians.

The science behind the SCOPES model. 

Those familiar with psychology will recognize the common Cognitive-Affective-Behavior constructs in Cognitive-Behavioral-Therapy and attitude theory, which involved the COE dimensions. Most clinicians have coursework in the biological basis of behavior hence, the P dimension. The Social dimension includes a recognition of social contexts and time contexts, which draw upon studies in social psychology and developmental psychology-- an S dimension. Finally, the other S is for the Self, which is our way of integrating all the dimensions of ourselves into a few key identities.

Many will also recognize the importance of the environment, which I include in the Social dimension. I have also been influenced by the BASIC-ID of Arnold Lazarus—a part of his work in Multimodal Therapy and Kurt Levin’s field theory or concept of lifespace.

Cite this post (APA)

Sutton, G. W. (2022, August 24). SCOPES model of human functioning. Psychology concepts and theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2021/07/scopes-model-of-human-functioning.html

Cite this book reference for the SCOPES Model.

Sutton, G. W. (2021). Creating surveys: Second Edition| How to create and administer surveys, evaluate workshops & seminars, interpret and present results. Springfield, MO: Sunflower.   AMAZON   Paperback ISBN-13:  9798712780327     website

Test Resources

The A-Z list of tests and questionnaires for clinicians and researchers

You can read about tests and survey items to measure the SCOPES dimensions in my 2017 book, Creating Surveys. Available on AMAZON    and Google

The SCOPES model was applied to understanding morality in Christian cultures in A House Divided.

Sutton, Geoffrey W. A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures. Eugene, OR: Pickwick. Also available on AMAZON.

Counseling and Psychotherapy with Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians Available from Amazon and Google

Connection:  www.suttong.com

This post updated February 8, 2023

Publications referring to the SCOPES model.

Sutton, G. W. (2021). Counseling and psychotherapy with Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians: Culture & Research | Assessment & Practice. Springfield, MO: Sunflower.  ISBN-13 : 979-8681036524     

Sutton, G. W. (2017). Creating surveys: Evaluating programs and reading research. Springfield, MO: Sunflower.   AMAZON   Paperback ISBN-10: 1522012729  ISBN-13:  9781522012726     website

Sutton, G. W. (2016). A House Divided: Sexuality, morality, and Christian cultures. Eugene, OR: Pickwick. ISBN: 9781498224888

Sutton, G. W. & Mittelstadt, M. W. (2012). Loving God and loving others: Learning about love from psychological science and Pentecostal perspectives. Journal of Christianity and Psychology, 31, 157-166.  Academia Link    Research Gate Link

Sutton, G.W. & Schmidly, B. (eds.) (2016). Christian morality: An interdisciplinary framework for thinking about contemporary moral issues. Eugene, OR: Pickwick. ISBN: 9781498204767

Sutton, G.W., & Thomas, E. K. (2005). Can derailed pastors be restored? Effects of offense and age on restoration. Pastoral Psychology, 53, 583-599.

Worthington, E. L. (2020). How to Discuss Controversial Sexual Issues with Christians Who Don’t (and Do) Agree with You. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 48(3), 229–233. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091647120908017

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

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You can read many published articles at no charge:

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Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

Christian Nationalism

Christian nationalism is a term for a subculture whose members identify their nation as having a Christian heritage and a God-given purpose. Members believe their nation must return to their understanding of Christian social and moral values to be blessed by God.

Christian Nationalism is a social construct commonly used in the United States, which has a large percentage of people who identify as Christians.

In the United States, Christians who present with a common set of beliefs considered to represent Christian nationalism are mostly, but not exclusively, evangelicals.

Perspectives on Christian Nationalism

Andrew Whitehead and his colleagues have written about Christian nationalism based on studies using a 6-item Christian Nationalism scale. 

In a 2020 interview with Paul Rosenberg of Salon, Whitehead offers the definition in the quote below.

Your book is about "Christian nationalism." Let's start with explaining what you mean by that.

When we talk about Christian nationalism, we identify it as a cultural framework that is all about trying to advocate for a fusion between Christianity, as they define it, and American civic life. This Christianity is something more than just orthodox Christian belief — it contains and overlaps with a number of other things. It operates like a signal to those that hear it, to a certain population, to say "people like us," which is generally white, native-born, culturally Christian. So it intertwines not only with narratives about the Christian heritage of the United States, but also different traditions and symbols and value systems, and really is a fusion of these identities, put together to create what they see as the "ideal" America. (Rosenberg, February 29, 2020)

**********

Davis notes features of Christian nationalism in a 2022 paper.

While Christian nationalism draws from general theories of religious nationalism (e.g. Brubaker 2011; Aho 2013), it involves several particular features. First, it is more than just civil religion, instead blending religious particularism, victimization and messianism together (Gorski 2020). Within the Christian nationalist’s worldview, there is a persistent fear of persecution, that America has not just strayed from its birthright as a Christian nation but that there are liberal forces conspiring to actively prevent government from embodying Christian values. Second, it also incorporates views about racial order and social hierarchies. Whiteness plays a role (Gorski and Perry 2022), as does gender, and its theological roots are less about morality or virtue and, instead, involve ideas about power and who should wield it.

**********

A quote from Miller who wrote an article in an evangelical magazine, Christianity Today, offers a general definition as follows.

Christian nationalism is the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way. Popularly, Christian nationalists assert that America is and must remain a “Christian nation”—not merely as an observation about American history, but as a prescriptive program for what America must continue to be in the future. Scholars like Samuel Huntington have made a similar argument: that America is defined by its “Anglo-Protestant” past and that we will lose our identity and our freedom if we do not preserve our cultural inheritance. (Miller, 2021, February 3)

**********

I wrote about the 6-item scale elsewhere (Sutton, 2022) but I will include the items here because they offer a look at one operational definition that has been referenced in the articles or books mentioned below (Cooper-White, Davis, Rosenberg).

Christian Nationalism Scale items

The federal government should declare the United States as a Christian nation.

The federal government should advocate Christian values.

The federal government should enforce strict separation of church and state. (reverse coded)

The federal government should allow the display of religious symbols in public spaces.

The success of the United States is part of God's plan.

The federal government should allow prayer in public schools.

Cite this post

Sutton, G. W. (2022, June 13). Christian nationalism. Psychology Concepts and Theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2022/06/christian-nationalism.html

References

Cooper-White, P. (2022). The Psychology of Christian Nationalism. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.

Davis, N. T. (2022). The psychometric properties of the Christian nationalism scale. Politics and Religion.(unpublished draft version date 05/11/2022). Retrieved from https://psyarxiv.com/sntv7/download/?format=pdf

Miller, P. D. (2021, February 3). What is Christian nationalism. Christianity Today. Retrieved from https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/february-web-only/what-is-christian-nationalism.html

Rosenberg, P. (2020, February 29). Sociologist Andrew Whitehead: How Christian nationalism drives American politics. Salon. Retrieved from https://www.salon.com/2020/02/29/sociologist-andrew-whitehead-how-christian-nationalism-drives-american-politics/

Books

The Psychology of Christian Nationalism by Pamela Cooper-White

AMAZON

Taking America Back for God by Whitehead and Perry

AMAZON

I write about psychology and religion.

Please check out my website   www.suttong.com

   and see my books on

   AMAZON       

or  GOOGLE STORE

Also, consider connecting with me on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   

TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  

ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

Academia   Geoff W Sutton     

Entheogens

Entheogens are psychoactive substances used for spiritual or religious purposes. These may produce changes in perception, mood, thinking, or behavior. 

An example of an entheogen is the peyote, which is used by some Native Americans in religious ceremonies.

photo: peyote cactus from Bing rated free to share and use

Please check out my website   www.suttong.com

   and see my books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Also, consider connecting with me on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Religious Orientations

 

Gordon Allport described two religious orientations as Intrinsic and Extrinsic. An intrinsic orientation views religion as very important in itself. An extrinsic orientation sees religion as a means to an end. A well known article by Allport and Ross (1967) presented a scale to measure these two orientations.

Lee Kirkpatrick (1988) later proposed that the extrinsic orientation has two dimensions: (a) personal and (b) social.

Gorsuch and McPherson (1989) presented findings of a revised scale to measure the three dimensions as

Intrinsic

Extrinsic personal

Extrinsic social

In addition to the general scale with the foregoing three subscales, they identified one item from each subscale, which could function as a single item scale.

Use this  link to the revised scale

References

Allport, G.W. & Ross, J.M. (1967). Personal religious orientation and prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 423-433.

Gorsuch, R. L. & McPherson, S. E. (1989). Intrinsic/extrinsic measurement: I/E-Revised and single-item scales. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 28, 348-354.

Kirkpatrick, L. A. (1988). A psychometric analysis of the Allport-Ross and Feagin Measures of intrinsic-extrinsic religious orientation. In D.O. Moberg and M.L. Lynn (Eds.), Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Vol. 1, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

Please check out my website   www.suttong.com

   and see my books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Also, consider connecting with me on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

Spiritual or Religious Neglect

 

Spiritual or religious neglect occurs when spiritual or religious leaders fail to meet the spiritual needs of those in their care resulting in spiritual harm or linked to other types of harm.

Neglect can also occur when a spiritual or religious leader fails to take reasonable action to protect those in their care from harassment and abuse.

Spiritual and religious leaders may actively cause harm when they engage in spiritual or other forms of harassment or abuse. Neglect is a passive stance that may be seen in two ways when there is an established relationship between a spiritual or religious leader and someone who is considered a member, employee, or congregant.

The first type of spiritual neglect occurs when the member experiences spiritual struggles or other concerns that comes to the awareness of the spiritual or religious leader who may then be expected to provide support to the person in need. A responsible leader may offer spiritual services or simply make a referral.

The second type of spiritual neglect occurs when the member experiences harassment or abuse from another person within the spiritual group or religious organization and the leader fails to take action to protect the person who has been harassed or abused. Leaders are generally responsible to investigate allegations of harassment and abuse and ensure that their sacred space is safe for all who attend and work in that space.

Spiritual or religious leaders may include board members of religious organizations, clergy, administrators of religious schools, and so forth. Spiritual leaders may function as spiritual advisors or directors. In some cases, the leaders are in roles providing pastoral care and counseling.

Examples of spiritual neglect include failure to meet reasonable expectations to:

Identify and respond to people experiencing distress related to their spirituality

Identify and respond to people requesting support in dealing with a variety of stressful life events such as financial struggles, mental health concerns, and the loss of a loved one.

Take action to protect a person from harassment or abuse occurring within their organization

Take action to report abuse to appropriate authorities

Screen volunteers and employees for a history of behavior indicating a risk of harm

Reasonable Actions

I realize that the term “reasonable actions” is vague; however, each organization ought to clarify the responsibilities of each person in a leadership position. In some cases, laws may dictate what a professional is supposed to do such as reporting child abuse or neglect or calling 911 when someone is at risk to harm someone else or themselves.

What is “reasonable” also depends on the skills of the particular leader. Some clergy have counseling skills and counseling congregants is a part of their responsibility. Surely most clergy are responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of their congregants. Other leaders may be expected to make a call or ask a supervisor for assistance in meeting someone’s needs.

A key word in neglect is failure—the failure to take responsible action.

 

Related concepts

Spiritual or religious harassment

Spiritual and religious abuse

Microaggressions- Definitions, Examples

Microaggressions- Dynamics, Dilemmas

 

Cite this post

Sutton, G. W. (2021, September 22). Spiritual or Religious Neglect. Psychology Concepts and Theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2021/09/spiritual-or-religious-neglect.html

Author: Geoffrey W. Sutton is a psychologist who conducts research and writes about topics in the Psychology of Religion.

See his books on AMAZON and Google and other stores.