Perception Of God Research Articles

God, love, and death of Trunyan Village

Backgrund: Trunyan Village is a traditional village on the shores of Lake Batur in Bali, Indonesia. The village has unique funeral traditions and religious beliefs. The "Death Penalty Society'' is a specialized burial system where bodies are placed on the ground and surrounded by bamboo. The adore and fondness we appear to others can moreover bring meaning and bliss to our lives, indeed as we persevere melancholy and loss. It is critical to keep in mind that seeing God, adoration and passing are intensely impacted by one's culture, religion, traditions and individual views. Method: The method used is qualitative content analysis, interpreted using Goffman's Framing theory. This approach examines how structured narratives in documents and previous research about Trunyan Village influence perceptions of god, love, and death. Findings: In the context of Trunyan Village, the concepts of God, love and death can have unique meanings and are influenced by local traditions and beliefs..God and love from Trunyan village can be seen in their family relationships with the living and the dead, as they still believe in their ancestors..The love and death of the Terunyan people can be seen from their very unique funeral practices, where they say that the corpse or human body that has died will not emit odour and by doing 'mepasah' is the only way for humans to get a good place in the afterlife..Why there is no ngaben tradition in Trunyan, only ‘mapasah and mendem sawa’, is because their culture and traditions have been passed down from generation to generation, and their understanding of the funeral process is better than the ngaben tradition. Conclusion: Back to the traditions and culture that influence why Trunyan village prefers to carry out 'mepasah' and 'mendem sawa' funerals. It can be concluded that the funeral tradition of mepasah or mendem sawa carried out in Trunyan village is a tradition carried out from generation to generation from their ancestors, which is a funeral activity that thinks about the concept of humanity where they have an understanding that if the human body has died it will not smell and with the taru menyan tree that grows in the setra or grave that protects the corpse from pungent odours and by covering the corpse with bamboo to protect it from wild animals. Novelty/Originality in this Study: Through qualitative content analysis and Goffman's Framing theory, this study explores the meaning of God, love, and death in the context of local traditions. The proposed model includes a digital interactive platform and mobile application to preserve and disseminate knowledge about these cultural practices.

Unveiling Divinity: A Comparative Quest Into The Perception Of God In Islam And Semitic Religions

The quest to understand the perception of God across different religions has been a central theme in human civilization. This comparative study delves into the essence of divinity as perceived in Islam and Semitic religions, exploring the foundational beliefs and philosophical underpinnings that shape the understanding of the Supreme Divine Authority. Drawing from insights gleaned from renowned historian Arnold Toynbee's monumental work on the history of religion, this study underscores the significance of religion in unraveling the mysteries of existence. Despite attempts by non-religious ideologies like Marxism and Freudianism to undermine organized religion, the enduring presence of faith systems underscores the intrinsic role of religion in human existence. Through an examination of key scriptures, including the Glorious Qur'an, this study elucidates the commonalities and divergences in the perception of God, emphasizing the universal call to worship a singular, omnipotent deity. Moreover, it highlights the innate human inclination towards belief in the Creator, positing that acceptance of divinity requires no precondition, while disbelief necessitates conditioned skepticism. Ultimately, this study offers profound insights into the universal quest for understanding the divine, transcending cultural and religious boundaries to illuminate the timeless truths underlying human spirituality.

Longing for Humanity: The Process of Leaving a Context of Perceived Spiritual Abuse

This study provides an account of leaving a context of perceived spiritual abuse within some Pentecostal fellowships in Norway. We discuss how our 16 informants discovered the need for change and sought support to navigate challenging departure processes characterized by emotional strain. Three empirical themes emerged: (1) God’s will, as conveyed by leaders, evoked shame, (2) there were various sources of help in leaving a context of perceived spiritual abuse, and (3) the acknowledgment of vulnerability provided space for new images of God. Throughout the leaving process, many informants underwent a profound shift in their perceptions of God, marked by a heightened awareness of their vulnerability. This transformation encompassed a deep-seated desire to embrace their humanity and to accept the relevance of their thoughts and feelings. Acknowledging their own vulnerability allowed them to have more humanized images of God. Our analysis employs Kenneth Pargament’s notion of orienting systems and his theory of religious coping to elucidate how their images of God changed. The process led to a perceived sense of freedom from spiritual abuse. We understand the informants’ experiences of leaving the church and affiliated organizations as instances of deconversion through what empirically emerged as “deprogramming” processes in our material. Deprogramming involves disentangling individuals from what they perceived was conveyed and thus “programmed” by spiritual leaders. Deprogramming processes emerged as a new exploration of images of God, shame, power, and human vulnerability.

Opposition Is True Friendship: C.G Jung, Ibn ‘Arabi & the Answer to Job

This essay examines the intriguing connections between Carl G. Jung, the Sufi mystic Ibn ‘Arabi, and Jung’s engagement with the Biblical “Answer to Job,” bridging vast cultural and temporal gaps. It explores Jung’s transformative dialogue with Pueblo spirituality and his introspective challenges with Islamic concepts of divine submission, culminating in an analysis of “Answer to Job” through the lens of Ibn ‘Arabi’s Divine Names. The discussion highlights the paradoxes within divine attributes and the human perception of God, offering a unique interpretation of Jung’s confrontation with the God image. By integrating Jung’s psychological insights with Sufi mysticism, the manuscript provides a nuanced perspective on divine justice, mercy, and the quest for spiritual understanding. Keywords: Carl Jung, Ibn ‘Arabi, Answer to Job, Psychological theology, Sufi mysticism.

“MOTIVATION” AND “GOD-IMAGE” OF INDONESIAN MIGRANT WORKERS IN HONG KONG

This paper explores the motivations and perceptions of God among Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong, focusing on their unique experiences and faith struggles. The study, guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), is based on the narratives of five female migrant workers with 6-12 years of experience in Hong Kong. From our study, compassion is identified as a fundamental motivator for Indonesian migrant workers. The study finds that all respondents maintain a positive God-Image, perceiving God as their Helper, Caregiver, and source of strength. Their faith is identified as a core motivation for survival. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) is employed to illustrate this approach. Finally, this paper tries to contribute to offering a unique perspective on the lives of Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong, emphasizing the critical roles of compassion, faith, and a positive God-image in their experiences, and promoting a fresh approach to addressing their struggles.

Christ as Charioteer: An Expanded Image in Early Armenian Literature

ABSTRACT Beginning with the perception of God as warrior in the Hebrew Bible, the article explores the image of God as charioteer in a spectrum of theophanic texts, both biblical and parabiblical, underlying Jewish apocalyptic traditions translated into Christian beliefs surrounding the Cross as means of heavenly ascent. Equating the Cross with the tetramorphic chariot-throne of God in Ezekiel’s visions, an interpretive tradition mediated primarily through Syriac Christianity and rooted in the Christology of the New Testament, Armenian interpreters expanded the tradition. A close reading of early Armenian texts conveying the reception and transmission of the imagery of Christ as charioteer shows an expansion to a point of reordering the chariot’s heavenly ascent to earthly descent, a divine visitation to the land of Armenia, thus driving the tradition to a sort of realized eschatology.

Ketaatan Elia Kepada Allah (Eksegesis 1 Raja-Raja 17:1-6) Dan Relevansinya Bagi Orang Percaya Masa Kini

Elijah's obedience is evident in his faithfulness to listen and obey God's commands. Through an understanding of the Biblical text, Elijah's obedience to God is analyzed in the context of perseverance, compliance, and complete trust in God's plan. This study also explores the relevance of Elijah's obedience for present-day believers. In a world filled with challenges and uncertainties, the lessons from Elijah's story provide inspiration about the importance of faith, obedience, and reliance on God. It offers a perspective that enriches how believers can lead their everyday lives with deep obedience to God's will, gaining strength and courage from their faith. This research reveals that Elijah's obedience reflects strong relevance for present-day believers, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the spiritual connection with God, following His will, and believing that obedience to Him brings blessings and protection. The practical implications of Elijah's obedience can encourage believers to deepen their faith, enhance their obedience, and broaden their perception of God's power and presence in everyday life.

God Perfectionism as a Mediator of Intrinsic Religiosity and Life Satisfaction: A Christian Sample of Young Adults

Intrinsic religiosity is a focus on religion for its own sake without consideration of its perceived external benefits. God perfectionism is an external source of perfectionism that is perceived to come from a higher power. This study investigates God perfectionism as a causal pathway between intrinsic religiosity and life satisfaction. Christian college students ( n = 125; male = 44%, female = 56%; Mage = 19.9 years, SD = 1.46, range = 15–56) were surveyed on perfectionism from God (standards and discrepancy), intrinsic religiosity, and satisfaction with life. Analyses indicated that intrinsic religiosity was associated with higher levels of life satisfaction ( b = .33, p = .0183). Our mediation analyses found significant indirect effects from intrinsic religiosity to life satisfaction through our mediator of perceived discrepancy from God ( b = .13, CI = .02 to .32), but the indirect effects via perceived standards from God were not significant. Results illustrate how intrinsic religiosity can affect life satisfaction based on one’s personal perception of God’s standards and discrepancies. Implications of these findings could lead to further research on what aspects of religiosity contribute to standards or discrepancy from God.

Türkiye Örneğinde Tanrı Algısına İlişkin Çalışmaların Sistematik Bir İncelemesi

The objective of this article is to conduct a systematic review of empirical research focused on the concept of God image within the context of Türkiye. The multidimensional nature of the God image is explored, and its associations with various variables, encompassing sociodemographic and psychological aspects, are thoroughly examined. The review also considers the correlation between God image and psychopathology, as well as spiritual care. The findings from this review, specific to the Turkish sample, suggest that the God image doesn't consistently vary with age, but a positive relationship is evident, indicating a tendency for a more positive God image with age. Women tend to have a more love-oriented God image than men. However, no significant distinctions were found in terms of income and educational levels. Moreover, variations of God image may be influenced by the type of school (religious or secular) and parental attitudes. Studies suggest that individuals raised in environments characterized by oppressive, authoritarian, or neglectful parenting are prone to form fear-oriented God images, while those with democratic parenting tend toward love-oriented God images. Subjective religiosity and positive religious coping are also proposed to have a positive correlation with the perception of God. Alongside sociodemographic variables, it is argued that a more positive and love-oriented God image is positively associated with enhanced psychological health, greater well-being, effective coping, positive self-esteem, lower depression, and fewer psychopathological symptoms. Despite the insights from the review of 55 studies, the diversity of examined variables necessitates more extensive research to draw general conclusions for each variable within the Turkish sample. Finally, fields requiring further investigation were also identified.

『우리가 볼 수 없는 모든 빛』에 나타난 스피노자적 윤리의 실천

This thesis seeks an ethical way to advance towards the love of eternal and infinite things that Spinoza pursued in All the Light We Cannot See, an American novel published by Anthony Doerr in 2014 and awarded the Pulitzer Prize in the following year. It is an attempt to examine Spinoza's Conatus as an individual's effort to maintain and sustain life, and that Conatus inevitably includes desire. However, Spinoza sees life pursuing this desire as something that can restrain life and give suffering, but the effort to achieve the third perception leads human beings find bliss, which is the final path to freedom. This paper examines the main character‘s choices and efforts to continue his life, and try to find out whether they have entered the path of freedom in the Spinozist sense. The first section briefly examines how Spinoza explained Conatus and the road to bliss. Werner's Conatus is examined in the second section, and how he perceives three different perceptions Spinoza distinguished in the third section. And in the last section, it will look at how Werner's perception of God's intellectual love is embodied.

Tanrı’ya Bağlanma, Tanrı Algısı ve Duygu Durumu ile Psikolojik İyi Olma Arasındaki İlişki: Kronik Hastalıklar Örneği

Worldwide population growth, inadequate and unhealthy living conditions are among the main reasons that increase the number of people with chronic diseases. Chronic diseases generally consist of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, stroke, and chronic respiratory diseases. Although chronic diseases usually develop due to advancing age, they may sometimes be seen at young ages. These diseases progress slowly and require regular and continuous treatment and care. In addition, the number of individuals with chronic diseases is increasing day by day due to the increase in population, and since it is not possible to cure the disease, patients are given supportive treatment. In addition to drug treatment, psycho-educational programs are applied to patients by specialists. In other words, patients are informed about the conditions that may cause the disease, what to pay attention to and how the disease can affect their lives. Because high mortality rates due to chronic diseases can negatively affect the psychological health of patients. In this process, patients are informed about the ways of coping with the problems brought about by the disease and psychological support is provided to them as necessary. If a psychopathological condition has developed due to the disease, psychological treatment can be started for the patient. To the extent that the patient gives consent, moral support practices can also be used during the treatment process. Here, a holistic approach to the patient's problems is important for patient health. According to the World Health Organization's definition, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being of the individual. Well-being is divided into two as subjective well-being and psychological well-being. According to Ryff, psychological well-being is the state of being aware that a person with a complex structure is a whole and that they have their own responsibility to protect, maintain and improve their well-being in this whole. This research was conducted to determine whether attachment to God, perception of God and emotional state predict psychological well-being. For this purpose, adult individuals with chronic diseases were included in this study. The research sample consisted of 304 individuals residing in different provinces of Turkey and having chronic diseases. The age range of the sample is between 25 and 72 and the mean age is 47.98. This research, in which scanning method and survey technique were used is fieldwork. In this research, God Attachment Inventory, God Perception Scale and Psychological Well-Being Scale were used as data collection tools. The data were analyzed with the SPSS package program. The findings show that attachment to God, perception of God and emotional states are among the variables that predict psychological well-being. The other variables predicting psychological well-being; loving God, anxious attachment to God, anxious mood, high school and secondary school graduate, conditional God, restless emotional state, and the place where their spent most of their life (village-town). This study showed that there was a relationship between the biological, psychological and spiritual dimensions of human beings. This study will provide data for spiritual counseling and guidance services in health field.

Table of Contents, Vol. 12, Special Issue 1, Intersectional Methods and Moral Theology

Intersectionality is a tool for theological analysis that invites sustained critical reflection on how gender, race, social class, sexual identity, citizenship status, and other forms of difference shape people’s perceptions of God, the human person, the church, and the moral life. Scholars of moral theology increasingly recognize how the biases of one’s lived experience integrally shapes one’s theological reasoning. Beyond the need to name, identify, and analyze our biases as an integral part of our theological methods, we also need to create space for discourse that seeks to bridge our differences. This special issue of the Journal of Moral Theology brings together seven essays that focus on intersectionality as a theological method and its implications for the practice of moral theology. Scholars in moral theology, liberation theologies, feminist and womanist theologies, and decolonial theologies demonstrate how intersectional methods are employed in constructive theological discourse.

In Search of Safe Spaces: An Exploratory Study of the Anticipated Help-Seeking Needs and Preferences of Protestant Christian Women in Singapore with Respect to a Hypothetical Abortion Scenario

Research suggests that religious beliefs may contribute to abortion stigma, resulting in increased secrecy, reduced social support and help-seeking as well as poor coping and negative emotional consequences such as shame and guilt. This study sought to explore the anticipated help-seeking preferences and difficulties of Protestant Christian women in Singapore with regard to a hypothetical abortion scenario. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 self-identified Christian women recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. The sample was largely Singaporean and all participants were ethnically Chinese females of a similar age range (late twenties to mid-thirties). All willing participants were recruited regardless of denomination. All participants anticipated experiences of felt, enacted and internalized stigma. These were affected by their perceptions of God (e.g., how they see abortion), their personal definitions of “life” and their perceptions of their religio-social environment (e.g., perceived social safety and fears). These concerns contributed to participants choosing both faith-based and secular formal support sources with caveats, despite a primary preference for faith-based informal support and secondary preference for faith-based formal support. All participants anticipated negative post-abortion emotional outcomes, coping difficulties and short-term decision dissatisfaction. However, participants who reported more accepting views of abortion also anticipated an increase in decision satisfaction and well-being in the longer term.

Bóg Ojciec w formule rozgrzeszenia. Od teologii do pedagogii

The scientific article addresses the issue of God the Father in the formula of absolution in the sacrament of penance. It consists of three main parts. The first of them, presents the circumstances of the formulation of the present formula. The second, theological, explores the issue in paschal, personal and essential dimension (misericordia, indulgentia, pax, remissio peccatorum, absolvo). The third pedagogical part examines the importance of the sacramental formula in both the life of the minister of sacrament and the penitent, on the way of pedagogy of healing and purification from false perception of God, such as: „The God as a punishing judge”, „The God of death and destruction”, „The God accountant”, „The God of exorbitant achievements”. The formula of absolution proclaims God the Father of Mercy and introduces to the experience of his salvific love, forming the human heart and mind. Keywords: God the Father of mercy, formula of absolution, remission of sins, perception of the God, pedagogy.

Терпкий вкус спасения (к вопросу использования Климентом Александрийским корня -στυφ-)

For describing the opposite (punishing and encouraging) methods of divine pedagogy, Clement of Alexandria used metaphors related to taste and medicine. God appears to him to be not a strict judge, punishing sinners, but a caring and wise doctor, prescribing bitter/tart medicine for them. Clement compares harsh but salutary experiences (mental suffering, fear) with astringents. He interprets physical punishment, which is written about in the Book of Proverbs (Prov. 23:13-14), as moral. In his opinion, Hellenic philosophy formed and strengthened morals in advance (προ-τυποῦσα καὶ προ-στύφουσα) (Strom. I, 16, 80, 6), and he intends to reinforce those with the help of the divine Scriptures, using the latter as an astringent (ἐπι-στύψω) (Paed. III, 2, 9, 1). Wateriness (ὑδαρότης, ὑδαρές, ὑδατῶδες) in some cases is associated with depravity, and reproof is regarded as an astringent medicine, relieving of excessive liquid and designed to stop the spread of sinful ulcers. The Alexandrian theologian draws the readers’ attention to points that are important to him, using both verbal play (for example, ἐπιστῦφον… σταφυλῆς) and the polysemy of words (for example, the verb ἐπι-στύφειν has the meanings ‘to exert an astringent effect’ and ‘to reprove’. Clement was not the only one who wrote about the usefulness of censure and astringents. In this he followed in the footsteps of authors such as Plato and Plutarch. The perception of God as a Physician became characteristic of the Orthodox Church and influenced the understanding of the essence of penance, considered as the healing of the penitent.

Ф.Г. Якоби и московская школа духовно-академической философии XIX в. Часть II. Ф.Г. Якоби и В.Д. Кудрявцев-Платонов

The article analyzes the attitude of the philosophy professor of the Moscow Theological Academy in the second half of the 19th century. Viktor D. Kudryav­tsev-Platonov to the philosophy of Fr. Jacobi, the continuity of the philosophical views of Kudryavtsev and his teacher Feodor Golubinsky is traced, which is re­flected in the attention to Jacobi’s apology for theism and the high appreciation of his teachings. Kudryavtsev joins the Jacobi’s criticism of philosophical ratio­nalism and supports his doctrine of reason as an organ of direct perception of God and the properties of spiritual reality. At the same time, in his doctoral dis­sertation on the essence and origin of religion, Kudryavtsev points out a number of shortcomings of Jacobi’s philosophy, which is discussed in detail in the arti­cle. By presenting criticism of Kudryavtsev, the article, in particular, discusses Jacobi's concept of nature, his relation to religious tradition, the reasons for the differences between Kudryavtsev and Jacobi on the question of the possibility of rational knowledge of God and in assessing the evidence for the existence of God, Kant’s influence on Jacobi. It is concluded that Kudryavtsev-Platonov’s new differentiated assessment of Jacobi's teaching is conditioned by the new tasks of ecclesiastical-academic philosophy of the second half of the 19th century.

Лінгвопоетика англомовної версії молитви Анни з Раматаїм-Цофіму, з Єфремових гір

The article presents the presupposition of creating a prayer by a poetess whose name and work are recorded in the Bible. The image of the poetess, the high level of her spiritual world, the uniqueness of world perception, the richness and poetics of speech, the peculiarities of religious ideas have been revealed in the paper. Attention is paid to the gender problem of recognizing the primacy of the poetess in the literature of the ancient people and the problem that forced the poetess to create the prayer. In literary studies, it is believed that the first poet whose name is recorded in the Torah was King David (reigned 1012-972 BC). 150 of his psalms are recorded in the Torah (the Old Testament). However, the analysis of the texts of the Old Testament showed that the first poetess of the ancient Jewish people was Anna, the wife of Elkan from Ramathaim-Zuthite, from the Ephraim mountains. She was the mother of the prophet Samuel, and her prayer of thanks to God for the birth of her son was recorded in the Old Testament. The prayer is a testimony of the impact of gender issues on the fate of women in the ancient world. The probable time of the creation of Anna's prayer – 1143 BC – corresponds to the years of the life of prophet Samuel. It is believed that he was born in 1146 BC. Anna gave him to the temple of Elijah in the town of Shiloh after weaning when he turned 3, as was customary in those days. He became a Nazarene, that is, dedicated to God, and he became a prophet. But comparing the years of Samuel's life with the years of King Saul's life raises many questions about the accuracy of his birth date. The article examines the peculiarities of linguopoetics of the English version of Anna's prayer: semantic antonyms, the use of substantivation, tautology of poetic syntagms, antitheses of metaphors, anepiphora as a special type of rhyme, alliteration, etc. Anepiphora “in the Lord – in the Lord” emphasizes the importance of the image of God and the power of the poetess's religious ideas. The technique of poetic tautology of syntagms is applied: “Those who were – those who were”. Examples of alliteration: there is no one, those who were, she who was, full of food. Examples of substantivation (transition of one part of speech into another one) are studied in the words hungry – hunger. Hunger – is noun, hungry – is adjective. Semantic antonyms: barren – has borne (literally: barren – has given birth). She who was barren has borne seven children. Antitheses of metaphors: He will guard the feet of his saints, But the wicked will be silenced in darkness. The lyrical content of the work reveals the poetess' state of mind, her religious perception of God, the high level of her spiritual world, and is characterized by emotionality. The text of the work shows the uniqueness of the worldview, spiritual and linguistic richness of the poetess. In verse 10 of the prayer, Anna prophesied the coming of the next Lord’s Anointed and expressed her prediction of the Last Judgment in a metaphorical form. In Christianity, Anna of Ramataim- Zuthite is considered a prophetess, her name is mentioned on December 9. Key words: presupposition, gender issues, alliteration, substantivation, metaphor.

РЕЛИГИЯ И КУЛЬТУРА КАК ФАКТОРЫ ДОВЕРИЯ ВО ВНЕШНЕЙ ТОРГОВЛЕ

Growing tension around Russia in the global economy, the need to reorient foreign trade flows to countries that differ from Russia in cultural and religious aspects, as well as a growing number of publications aimed at studying economic effects of culture, religion and trust, makes it necessary to conduct a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature on the influence of culture and religion on foreign trade activities. Based on the analysis of religious literatureand scientific empirical research and using the methods of systematization, generalization, meta-analysis, conceptual approaches of socio-cultural anthropology and cross-cultural psychology, the paper proposes a theoretical justification for the mechanism of the influence of religion and culture on foreign trade. Two approaches to the influence of culture on foreigntrade activity are theoretically substantiated. Within the framework of the first approach, the proximity of cultural values contributes to the growth of foreign trade activity. Within the second framework, cultural openness and tolerance for foreign cultures have limited potential to increase mutual trade. Based on the analysis of scientific and religious literature,three groups of channels of the mechanism of the influence of religion on foreign trade are substantiated. The first group of channels, which are based on a person's psychological perception of God and His deeds, includes: influence through the perception of entrepreneurial risk as God's providence and impact through the fear of trading partners before God's punishment for non-fulfillment of obligations. The second group of channels, the mechanism of influenceof which is based on the similarity and difference of religious dogmas, includes: influence based on different religious dogmas, influence through the trust of trading partners due to the similarity of religious values and influence through religious openness and tolerance towards other faiths. The third group of channels, the mechanism of which is based on institutional theories, includes: influence through the development of religious competition, the influence of religious institutions as an alternative to weak state institutions and the influence of religion as the basis of trust between trading partners.

Mükemmeliyetçi Dindarlık Ölçeğinin Geliştirilmesi ve Geçerliği-Türkçe Versiyon (MDÖ-T)

The fact that the absolute is only God, and therefore, God is the first to come to mind when perfection is mentioned, is a common occurrence among believers. Perfectionism was also associated with God by the early personality theorists, moved away from its religious meaning over time, and its relationship with piety was little taken into account until recently. The fact that perfectionism, which has a religious motif in its essence, came to life in the field of religious sciences in general and psychology of religion in particular, in other words, bringing the concept of religious perfectionism into the literature became possible by a limited number of measurement attempts made after 2010. In this study, religious perfectionism, which is based on setting high standards for religious life, was discussed as a whole with order, discipline, inadequacy of one's self, perfect religious expectations and generalizations about others. Our study aims to fill the gap in the relevant literature by making the operational definition of religious perfectionism and measuring it. After determining the need for scale development and literature review, multidimensional perfectionism scales were reviewed and an item pool was created. Some features of perfectionism, such as discipline, generalization, and performance control, which are not dimensioned in multidimensional scales, were also adapted to piety. Previously developed religious perfectionism scales were also examined and, unlike them, we attempted to emphasize both the individual's religious life and the perfect God perception. The opinions of five experts in the field of Psychology of Religion were consulted about the adequacy of the items, so the first form of the scale was prepared for the pilot scheme. The study group consists of 610 Muslim participants who live in Turkey, believe in Allah (God), and regularly perform at least one worship. A total of 254 people, 192 (75.6%) of whom were female and 62 (24.4%) were male, participated in the pilot scheme. A total of 356 participants, 242 (68%) of whom were women and 114 (32%) were men, participated in the main study. The participants' educational background was undergraduate or postgraduate, and most were between the ages of 18-30. In order to determine the validity of the scale, construct validity and criterion-related validity were examined. Explanatory Factor Analysis (n=254) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (n=356) were used for construct validity and correlation analysis was performed for criterion-related validity. In addition, the differences between the item mean scores of the lower 27% and upper 27% groups were tested with the unrelated T-test for item discrimination. The reliability of the scale was determined by Cronbach's Alpha (a) and test-retest methods. As a result of Explanatory Factor Analysis, the scale was divided into two factors as Positive Religious perfectionism and Negative Religious perfectionism, as designed. The positive dimension of the scale included items that included the very high standards that the person set about God and his religious life, the order and discipline shown in worship. In the negative dimension of the scale, items such as finding the worship inadequate, doubting the actions, and worrying about making mistakes, as well as the general acceptances that the individual has about himself, God, or others, were included. The total score of the dimensions showed the general religious perfectionism level, and as the score gets higher, so does the religious perfectionism level. The scale can be used to measure the general religious perfectionism level based on the total score in the studies to be carried out. It can also be used by dividing it into its positive and negative factors. The internal consistency coefficient of Positive Religious perfectionism was 0.913; it was 0.876 for Negative Religious perfectionism, and the overall reliability for the 22-item structure of the scale was 0.904. As a result of the test-retest performed with a new study group of 95 people with an interval of 14 days, a significant positive correlation was found between the pretest and retest levels (r=0.960 p<0.01). In addition, it was determined that the participants' lower 27% and upper 27% values were significant for all items (p<0.01). As a result of the correlation analysis for criterion-related validity, significant positive relationships were found between religious perfectionism and perfectionism, and intrinsic religious motivation. Finally, the values obtained as a result of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis performed to confirm the factor structure were found to be in the range of acceptable (X2/df=3,306; RMSEA=0,079; GFI=0,92; AGFI=0,90; RMR=0,068; SRMR=0,052) and perfect fit criteria (CFI=0,96; NNFI=0,96; NFI=0,96). All these findings revealed that the scale was a valid and reliable measurement tool that measures religious perfectionism.

Exploring Black adolescents’ perceptions of God during COVID-19: God images as a source of wellness

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine challenges Black adolescents may experience because of COVID-19 and coping strategies employed to navigate their reported difficulties. The current study used secondary data analysis to understand how Black U.S. adolescents’ positive images of God contributed to their emotional well-being in response to stressors associated with COVID-19. Data from a larger study were extracted from 11 Black adolescents’ (Ages 12–17; 54.5% female) individual interview transcripts; and the research team used an interpretative phenomenology process to analyze the data. Participants’ experiences of God as a (a) Teacher, (b) Powerful Being, and (c) Comforter served as robust contributors to their feelings of strength, hope, assurance, calmness, contentment, and motivation, despite the challenges they encountered. This study presents a culturally responsive approach to understanding and potentially responding to Black adolescents’ mental health needs during the COVID-era.