Intrinsic religiosity protects believers from the existential fear of a human Jesus. Issue 5 (28th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Arrowood, Robert Britton; Cox, Cathy R.; Weinstock, Maddie; Hoffman, Jill
• Is Part Of: Mental health, religion & culture. Volume 21:Issue 5(2018)
• Page Start: 534
• Page End: 545
• Publication Date: 2018-05-28
• Subjects: Terror management theory -- intrinsic religiosity -- creatureliness -- fear of death -- existential anxiety; Mental health -- Religious aspects -- Periodicals; Religion and culture -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Religious aspects -- Periodicals; Mentally ill -- Pastoral counseling of -- Periodicals; 306.461
• DOI: 10.1080/13674676.2018.1512564
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1367-4676

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The present study examined the role of internalised religious beliefs in defending against existential concerns aroused from a creaturely Jesus. Prior work has found that biologically human traits (e.g., vomiting, sweating, etc.) can increase death concerns when applied to both humans and a god. Intrinsic beliefs, however, have been shown to reduce mortality awareness. In the current study, religious participants were primed with thoughts of either a human or neutral Jesus followed by a single item measure about fear of death. A moderated regression analysis found that whereas high intrinsic individuals were buffered from existential concerns, low intrinsic individuals experienced a greater fear of death when primed with a human Jesus. These results replicate prior work within terror management theory and the psychology of religion suggesting that internalised beliefs serve a protective function against existential anxieties.