Spiritual Maturation and Religious Behaviors in Christian University Students

Abstract

Spiritual maturation processes of internalization and questing were assessed at a Christian university to determine their relationship to year in school and certain religious behaviors. This was a first step toward the development of a new model of Christian higher education that will intentionally facilitate spiritual maturation. A group of 179 university students, ranging in age from 17 to 25 years and representing all four undergraduate classes, completed measures of spiritual maturation. The group of 75 males and 104 females professing Christian faith completed the Quest Scale (Batson & Schoenrade, 1991), Religious Orientation Scale (Gorsuch & McPherson, 1989), and Christian Religious Internalization Scale (Ryan, Rigby, & King, 1993). Multivariate analysis of variance and multiple regression statistical procedures were used to assess these spiritual maturation processes across year in school, gender, upper and lower class status, and religious behavior levels. The study found that year in school and class status were significantly and positively related to questing processes. Results also showed that religious behaviors were significantly and positively related to internalization processes. In addition, women showed significantly greater internalization than men. The study provides support for a new model of spiritual maturation for Christian university students.