Religion and the Sense of Control among U.S. Adults

Despite at least a century of theoretical debate, the relationship between religion and the sense of control has rarely been investigated empirically. This study develops a series of theoretical arguments linking multiple dimensions of religious involvement with the sense of control. Relevant hypotheses are then tested using data from the 1996 NORC General Social Survey. On the one hand, several aspects of religious involvement (attendance at services, belief in an afterlife, conservative Protestant affiliation) are positively associated with the sense of control. In addition, afterlife belief and frequency of prayer moderate the links between health problems and the sense of control. However, consistent with the claims of prominent critics, certain religious beliefs (e.g., human sin, biblical literalism) are inversely related to the sense of control.