Religious Fundamentalism and Quest as Predictors of Moral Foundations Among Iranian Muslims

Abstract

AbstractDoes religion make us moral? How do individual differences in religious beliefs influence morality? Can we predict differences in moral concerns by certain facets of religiousness? Here, we attempted to answer these hotly debated questions within a novel psychological framework called “moral foundations theory.” We extended past research on the relationship between moral foundations and religiosity that was limited to Christian samples in WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) societies. Data were collected from 276 Iranian Muslims who completed an online survey measuring religious dimensions and the endorsement of five moral foundations (Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, and Purity). Each of the moral foundations was positively correlated with intrinsic religiosity, religious fundamentalism, and religious activity, while quest religiousness was negatively correlated with binding foundations. However, controlling for general religiosity and demographic variables, we found that religious fundamentalism predicted binding foundations; quest religiousness predicted individualizing foundations; intrinsic religiosity predicted care, authority, and purity.