Religiosity as a source of comfort and struggle in members of religious movements: a comparative analysis of the Neocatechumenal Way and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

Abstract

This study aims to examine various aspects of religiosity in members of the Neocatechumenal Way and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. First, we assigned intergroup differences in Emotions toward God, Religious Comfort and Strain and Religious Attributions. Next, we estimated the net effects of Emotions toward God, Religious Comfort and Strain and Religious Attributions on religiosity. One hundred fifty–five people participated in the research, 81 members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and 74 members of the Neocatechumenal Way. We applied the Religious Comfort and Strain Scale by Yali, Exline, Wood, and Worthington, the Emotions toward God Scale by Huber and the Religious Attributions Scale by Exline, Park, Smyth and Carey. The results suggest that members of the Neocatechumenal Way do not differ from the Catholic Charismatic Renewal’s members in Religious Comfort and Positive Emotions toward God. However, the members of the Neocatechumenal Way scored higher in Religious Strain. A moderating effect of the religious movement on the relation between Fear of God and religiosity was observed.

Keywords

• religious movement
• emotions toward god
• religious comfort and strain
• religious attributions