Religion as Culture: Religious Individualism and Collectivism Among American Catholics, Jews, and Protestants

Abstract

We propose the theory that religious cultures vary in individualistic and collectivistic aspects of religiousness and spirituality. Study 1 showed that religion for Jews is about community and biological descent but about personal beliefs for Protestants. Intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity were intercorrelated and endorsed differently by Jews, Catholics, and Protestants in a pattern that supports the theory that intrinsic religiosity relates to personal religion, whereas extrinsic religiosity stresses community and ritual (Studies 2 and 3). Important life experiences were likely to be social for Jews but focused on God for Protestants, with Catholics in between (Study 4). We conclude with three perspectives in understanding the complex relationships between religion and culture.

Cardiovascular costs of emotion suppression cross ethnic lines

“…Group specific inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) for African Americans, parents and grandparents were African American, were born and raised in the United States, and participants were raised in a predominantly Christian background; (b) for Chinese Americans, parents and grandparents were Chinese, were born and raised in China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, and Chinese (e.g., Mandarin) was spoken in the home at least 50% of the time; (c) for European Americans, parents and grandparents were European American, were born and raised in the United States, and participants were raised in a predominantly Protestant or Catholic background; and (d) for Mexican Americans, parents and grandparents were Mexican, were born and raised in Mexico, Spanish was spoken in the home at least 50% of the time, and participants were raised in a predominantly Catholic background. (Criteria for religious background were included because the ethnic groups of interest frequently differ in religious background [Fitchett, et al, 2007], and these backgrounds are an integral part of each group's cultural make-up [e.g., Chiu, Wong, & Kosinski, 1998;Cohen & Hill, 2007;GarciaPreto, 2002;Reminick, 1988]). Finally, all participants had to endorse at least a "3" on a 0-5 scale asking how much they identified with their ethnic group of origin (with 0 = not at all and 5 = extremely).…”

Índice de Compromisso Religioso (ICR): elaboração e evidências psicométricas

“…No entanto, traços e atitudes constituintes da religiosidade, tais como crer em um deus pessoal ou em uma realidade transcendente, a importância de crer em algo maior, ter momentos de oração ou contemplação, não estão associados a uma religião institucional específica (Cohen & Hill, 2007), mas envolvem um compromisso individual com suas crenças e práticas espirituais. Segundo Witter (2007, p. 153), "define-se religiosidade como a importância atribuída e a freqüên-cia de (a) crenças religiosas, (b) práticas religiosas, (c) aplicações das crenças e (d) participação nos serviços e atividades de grupo da religião".…”

A influência dos valores humanos no compromisso religioso

“…Entretanto, crer em um deus pessoal ou numa realidade transcendente, a importância atribuída a um deus na vida, a obtenção de consolo na religião e ter momentos de oração ou contemplação, todos estes traços e atitudes referem-se ao que se denomina de religiosidade. Ser religioso pode implicar apenas uma orientação axiológica, embora o indivíduo não pertença ou não se sinta atraído por qualquer religião institucional (Cohen & Hill, 2007). A religião, por sua vez, no sentido institucional, deve ser entendida como uma forma explícita, organizada e reconhecível de crenças e práticas, com doutrina e ética peculiares a determinado grupo social (Mendonça, 1998).…”