Title

Assessing the Relationships Among Forgiveness by God, God Images, and Death Anxiety

School/Department

Rosemead School of Psychology

Publication Date

5-19-2018

Abstract

Previous research suggests that people who feel forgiven by God may experience lower levels of death anxiety. The purpose of the current study is to contribute to this work by assessing whether the relationship between forgiveness by God and death anxiety varies according to how people view God. Three images of God are assessed: a pantheistic view of God, a theistic view of God, and a deistic view of God. Data from nationwide survey that was conducted in 2014 (N = 2,650) suggest that the relationship between forgiveness by God and death anxiety is strongest among people with a theistic view of God, significantly weaker among people with a pantheistic view of God, and not significant among individuals with a deistic view of God. The findings point to the importance of taking views of God into account when assessing the relationship between forgiveness by God and death anxiety.

Keywords

Death anxiety; Forgiveness

Publication Title

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying

Volume

81

Issue

2

First Page

356

Last Page

369

DOI of Published Version

10.1177/0030222818777376

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