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Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Psychology
Notes
- Abstract:
- The conflict between sexual minorities and religious institutions is well known. However, the relationship between faith maturity and internalized homonegativity is less well understood. Faith maturity can be defined as the “degree to which a person embodies the priorities, commitments, and perspectives characteristic of vibrant and life-transforming faith.” This all-inclusive definition allows for a wide range of behaviors and beliefs to be considered for evaluation such as how one relates to God (e.g., how one views traditional beliefs, and the importance of spirituality in one’s day to day life) and other people (e.g., how one views other people, serves others, views equality and social justice). Internalized homonegativity can be defined as directing negative social attitudes about sexual minorities towards the self. Although many gay men and lesbians have negative experiences with Christian faiths, a portion of gay men and lesbians maintain various aspects of their faith. The role of faith maturity in dealing with the negative messages of society may give insight into the aspects of faith that help to reduce internalized homonegativity and contribute to the identity development of gay and lesbian Christians. Previous studies on internalized homonegativity have been plagued by a lack of a consistent definition and measure of internalized homonegativity that measures the experiences of the gay and lesbian communities. Likewise, varying operational definitions and measures of mature faith to understand a person’s religious experience has plagued previous research on mature faith. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between faith maturity and internalized homonegativity in gay men and lesbians with measurements that are psychometrically sound. The study utilized online surveys to assess the faith maturity and internalized homonegativity of 128 gay men and 67 lesbians. It was hypothesized that the Orientation to Humanity subscale of the Faith Maturity Scale (FMS) would be a better predictor of internalized homonegativity than the Orientation to God subscale of the FMS. Overall, the hypothesis was supported that the Orientation to Humanity Subscale of the Faith Maturity Scale was a better predictor of internalized homonegativity. A series of regression analyses indicated that for both gay men and lesbians high scores on the Orientation to Humanity subscale predicted lower scores of internalized homonegativity, while high scores on the Orientation to God subscale predicted higher scores of internalized homonegativity. There are several implications for this study. First, the scales used to measure internalized homonegativity and faith maturity appear to be useful for gay and lesbian Christians. Two, commitment to the spiritual aspects of faith maturity appears to be a positive factor in adjustment for gay and lesbian Christians. Three, therapists should be aware that clients may benefit from emphasizing spiritual aspects of faith, versus an emphasis of the traditional institutional teaching.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (M.S.)--Barry University. 2012.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-87).
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright William M. Skelton. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- BV4596.G38 S54 2012_SkeltonWilliamM ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- BV4596.G38 S54 2012 ( lcc )
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