Theological Index
Measures theological positions, beliefs, and practices across 12 distinct subscales to identify areas of agreement and disagreement within Protestant faith communities.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Theological Index was developed by Dean R. Hoge (1976). It is designed to measure Theological Position. The scale is intended for use with Protestant clergy and laity.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 53 items organized into 12 factors/subscales: Spiritual-Secular Dualism Index, Freewill Behavior Index, Otherworldliness Index, Scriptural Authority Item, Social Optimism Index, Ethicalism Index, Religious Nationalism Index, Creedal Assent Index, Religious Despair Index, Orientation to Growth and Striving Index, Devotionalism Index, Salience: Behavior Index.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Spiritual-Secular Dualism Index | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | 6 |
| Freewill Behavior Index | 7,8,9,10,11,12 | 6 |
| Otherworldliness Index | 13,14,15 | 3 |
| Scriptural Authority Item | 16 | 1 |
| Social Optimism Index | 17,18,19 | 3 |
| Ethicalism Index | 20,21,22,23 | 4 |
| Religious Nationalism Index | 24,25,26 | 3 |
| Creedal Assent Index | 27,28,29,30,31,32 | 6 |
| Religious Despair Index | 33,34,35,36,37 | 5 |
| Orientation to Growth and Striving Index | 38,39,40,41,42 | 5 |
| Devotionalism Index | 43,44,45,46,47 | 5 |
| Salience: Behavior Index | 48,49,50,51,52,53 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree / Infrequently / Very Little, 2 = Disagree / Fairly Infrequently / Somewhat Little, 3 = Agree / Fairly Frequently / Somewhat Much, 4 = Strongly Agree / Frequently / Very Much.
The scale includes 11 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Subscale alphas range from .44 to .75.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.