Psychological effects of Christian teachings about sin and hell

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores the psychological effects of Christian teachings about sin and hell. Little is known regarding factors predicting whether religious involvement will increase or decrease overall distress, especially for minoritised groups. The researcher developed the Christian Teachings about Sin and Hell Scale (CTASH) and recruited 683 former or current self-identified Christians via convenience sampling. A MANOVA was conducted to determine whether population means for scores on the CTASH differed significantly based on age, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, race, church denomination, and religious identity. Individuals who had disaffiliated with Christianity, were LGBTQ±, were female, were nonbinary, and who had deconstructed their beliefs reported significantly increased overall distress related to the Christian teachings about sin and hell. Certain groups also differed significantly on specific CTASH items. Findings illuminate the interactions between intersectional identity, religious identification, and exposure to teachings about sin and hell as they impact psychological distress.