The use of religious resources in response to anti -homosexual religious attitudes and behaviors

This dissertation engages psychological and theological studies in an examination of the ways in which homosexual persons may employ religious resources to interpret and respond to anti-homosexual attitudes and behaviors associated with religious ideas. Previous social scientific and theological scholarship exploring the impact of such attitudes and behaviors on psychological well-being has resulted in conflicting conclusions. The present study extends previous research by examining the relationship between religious resources and psychological well-being among those who experience anti-homosexual religious attitudes and behaviors. Drawing upon Pargament's research in religious coping (Pargament 1997) and Neville's theology of broken symbols (Neville 1996) to characterize various ways of coping and of interpreting religious symbols, this research poses the question: is there a relationship between psychological well-being and (1) religious symbol styles (conserving, reconstructing, replacing, or rejecting one's religious symbols) and (2) religious coping styles (collaborative, self-directing and deferring) among those who experience anti-homosexual religious attitudes and behaviors?;Two hundred and sixty-one subjects completed scales designed and developed specifically for this study: the Heterosexist Religious Stressor Checklist and the Religious Symbol Style Scale. They also completed scales measuring religious coping (Religious Coping Scale) and psychological well-being (CES-D Scale).;This research found that all participants experienced anti-homosexual religious attitudes and behaviors. The use of particular religious symbol and coping styles was correlated with psychological well-being. Subjects who reconstructed their religious symbols and used a collaborative style of religious coping experienced higher degrees of psychological well-being. Conversely, those who replaced traditional religious symbols with non-traditional religious symbols or rejected religious symbols and used a self-directing style of religious coping experienced lower degrees of psychological well-being. These findings elucidate some of the ways in which persons may interpret and make use of religious ideas and symbols in order to enhance psychological and religious well-being, even when such ideas and symbols may generate distress. The findings also suggest that pastoral and clinical caregivers should attend closely to the complexities of how persons interpret and employ religious resources in order to determine whether these strategies are likely to contribute to well-being.