The Role of Religious Orientation and Religious Coping on Justice-Oriented Beliefs
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The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how the health of one’s relationship with religion and spirituality is related to political ideology, vaccine support, and endorsement of social justice attitudes and behaviors. Within this decade, American society experienced a major change through the resurgence and ongoing conversation of the Black Lives Matter Movement and women’s rights movements. Additionally, civil unrest increased due to the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 regulations, with vaccine hesitancy reaching an all-time high (Dunivin et al., 2022; Exline et al., 2021). Movements advocating for social justice, visà-vis increased movements against them – often rooted not only in the political right but also in certain sects of Christianity – have reopened discussions regarding the role of religion—and more specifically, the health of one’s relationship with religion—in political issues. Rather than categorical religion itself, health of one’s relationship with religion refers to the quality and nature of an individual’s connection to their religion, and how their overall wellbeing and functioning is impacted by their relationship with their religion (Cohen & Johnson, 2016). Research on Social Dominance Theory and Right-Wing Authoritarianism have consistently demonstrated a relationship between religious and political ideology, with prejudicial and authoritarian attitudes consistently demonstrated as being related to conservatism and religiosity (Lantz et al., 2018; Fasce & Avendaño, 2020).