God Representations, Attachment to God, and Satisfaction With Life: A Comparison of Doctrinal and Experiential Representations of God in Christian Young Adults

Abstract

In this study the authors address the distinction between individuals' doctrinal representations (or “head knowledge”) and experiential representations (or “heart knowledge) of God by identifying different predictor variables and outcomes for each of these types of representations. Self-report ratings were collected from 415 Christian young adults regarding how well trait words described God in two instructional conditions: what they “should believe that God is like” and what they “personally feel that God is like.” Experiential God representations were found to be less positive than doctrinal God representations. Positive doctrinal representations were predicted by Christian orthodoxy and avoidant attachment to God, whereas positive experiential God representations were predicted by each of Christian orthodoxy, religious commitment, and avoidant and anxious attachment to God. Critical doctrinal representations were predicted by anxious attachment to God, whereas critical experiential representations were predicted by both anxious attachment to God and self-esteem. Experiential representations and maternal attachment avoidance, but not attachment to God, predicted unique variance in satisfaction with life. Results affirm the importance of distinguishing between the two types of representations of God and highlight the relationships between attachment, representations of God, and satisfaction with life.