Religiosity and Altruism: Exploring the Link and its Relation to Happiness
This article investigates whether there is a link between religiosity and altruism for individuals and, more specifically, how this link is experienced. The study applies both statistical analysis of survey data and phenomenological analysis of interview material. The analysis both questions the oft...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Carfax Publ.
[2011]
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| In: |
Journal of contemporary religion
Year: 2011, Volume: 26, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-18 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) |
| Summary: | This article investigates whether there is a link between religiosity and altruism for individuals and, more specifically, how this link is experienced. The study applies both statistical analysis of survey data and phenomenological analysis of interview material. The analysis both questions the often assumed religiosity-altruism link and explores its nature, particularly from the perspective of the individual who experiences this link. The findings indicate that the attitudes and acts of altruism are indeed linked to religiosity, yet there are also modes of altruism were no connection is detected. The phenomenological analysis yields a novel model of five components of the religiosity-altruism link from individual experience: 1) faith and values in action, 2) personal relation to God, 3) institutions, 4) communal support and networks in congregations, 5) teachings of the Bible. Overall, this article offers new insights by deepening our understanding of the religiosity-altruism link as such and its relation to the classical expectation of religiosity and altruism being pivotal to happiness. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-9419 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of contemporary religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13537903.2011.539835 |