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Religion, Forgiveness, Hostility and Health: A Structural Equation Analysis

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Abstract

Religious participation has been shown to increase certain factors thought to be protective of health, including social support and positive health habits. The current study considers whether religious participation may likewise have a positive influence on health by increasing forgiveness and diminishing hostility. A structural equation analysis of data collected from a national survey of 1,629 participants supported the hypothesized model that (a) religiosity is related to greater forgiveness, (b) greater forgiveness, in turn, is related to reduced hostility and finally, (c) reduced hostility is related to better subjective health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Spears Research Institute, Healthcare Chaplaincy, New York, NY, USA

    Laura J. Lutjen & Kevin J. Flannelly

  2. Department of Psychology, Marymount Manhattan College, New York, NY, USA

    Nava R. Silton

  3. 3 Milestone Rd., Rye Brook, NY, 10573, USA

    Laura J. Lutjen

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  1. Laura J. Lutjen
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  2. Nava R. Silton
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  3. Kevin J. Flannelly
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Correspondence to Laura J. Lutjen.

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Lutjen, L.J., Silton, N.R. & Flannelly, K.J. Religion, Forgiveness, Hostility and Health: A Structural Equation Analysis. J Relig Health 51, 468–478 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-011-9511-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-011-9511-7

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