Dimensions of Religiosity
King‚ 1967
I. Creedal Assent and Personal Commitment CN
I believe in God as a Heavenly Father who watches over me and to whom I am accountable. (accurate-inaccurate)
I know that I need God’s continual love and care. (accurate-inaccurate)
I believe in eternal life. (accurate-inaccurate)
I believe that Christ is a living reality. (accurate-inaccurate)
I believe in salvation as release from sin and freedom for new life. (accurate-inaccurate)
I believe that God revealed himself to man in Jesus Christ. (accurate-inaccurate)
I believe that the Word of God is revealed through the Scriptures. (accurate-inaccurate)
I believe in the Church as God’s agent of salvation in the world. (accurate-inaccurate)
I know that God answers my prayers. (accurate-inaccurate)
I believe that the Bible provides basic moral principles to guide every decision of my daily life: with family and neighbors‚ in business and financial transactions‚ and as a citizen of the nation and the world. (accurate-inaccurate)
I think of the Church as a place where I can hear God’s Word for me. (accurate-inaccurate)
I believe that lay men and women‚ as well as clergy‚ are called by God to a ministry of witness and service in the world. (accurate-inaccurate)
The purpose of worship and prayer is to find out what God wants us to do. (agree-disagree)
The main purpose of the Church is to reconcile men to God and each other‚ thus establishing the conditions for “newness of life.” (agree-disagree)
Property (house‚ automobile‚ money‚ investments‚ etc.) belong to God; we only hold it in trust for Him. (agree-disagree)
II. Participation in Congregational Activities
How would you rate your activity in this congregation? (very active – in active )
During the last year‚ how many Sundays per month on the average have you gone to a worship service? (None- three or more)
How many Sundays out of the last four have you attended worship services? (None-three or more)
How often do you spend evenings at church meetings or in church work? (regularly-never)
How often have you taken Communion during the past year? (regularly-never)
How many times during the last month have you attended Sunday School or some equivalent educational activity? (none-three or more)
I keep pretty well informed about my congregation and have some influence on its decisions. (accurate-inaccurate)
List the offices‚ special jobs‚ committees‚ etc. of either the congregation or denomination in which you served during the past church year. (none-three or more)
Church activities (meetings‚ committee work‚ etc.) are a major source of satisfaction in my life. (accurate-inaccurate)
I enjoy working in the activities of the Church. (accurate- inaccurate)
I try to cooperate with the pastor in his program for the congregation. (accurate-inaccurate)
All in all‚ how well do you think you fit in with the group of people who make up your church congregation? (very well – rather poorly)
When church activities conflict with your community responsibilities‚ how do you handle the situation?
a. I usually choose the church activities.
b. I choose church activities over half the time.
c. I choose church activities less than half the time.
d. I am usually faithful to my civic responsibilities.
III. Personal Religious Experience
I know what it feels like to repent and experience for giveness of sin. (accurate-inaccurate)
How often do you pray privately in places other than at church? (regularly-never)
How often do you ask God to forgive your sins? (regularly – never)
The idea of God often seems vague to me and distant from my everyday experiences. (accurate- inaccurate)
The idea of sin means very little to me. (accurate- inaccurate)
When you have decisions to make in your everyday life‚ how often do you try to find out what God wants you to do? (regularly-never)
Life has no meaning apart from a relationship to God. (agree-disagree)
To what extent has God influenced your life? (very much-not at all )
I find myself believing in God some of the time‚ but not at other times. (accurate-inaccurate)
Private prayer is one of the most important and satisfying aspects of my religious experience. (accurate-inaccurate)
I frequently feel very close to God in prayer‚ during public worship‚ or a t important moments in my daily life. (accurate-inaccurate)
The truly religious person has the joy and peace which come from recognizing that he is a forgiven sinner. (agree- disagree)
IV. Personal Ties in the Congregation
Think of your five closest friends. How many of them are members of your church congregation? (none-three or more)
Of all your closest friends‚ how many are also members of your local congregation? (none-many)
How long have you been a member of this congregation? (under 1 year-over 5 years)
List the church organizations to which you belong. (for example: SS Class‚ Women’s Society‚ MYF‚ e t c ) (none- three or more)
Church membership has helped me to meet the right kind of people. (accurate-inaccurate)
V. Commitment to Intellectual Search Despite Doubt
My understanding of the central doctrines of the Church has changed considerably since I first joined. (accurate- inaccurate)
How often do you read religious non- fiction books‚ other than the Bible? (regularly-never)
The truly religious person is likely to have sincere and searching questions about the nature of a life of faith in God. (agree-disagree)
I enjoy the intellectual stimulation of learning about the Bible and about the history and doctrines of the Church. (accurate-inaccurate)
Usually the Communion Service does not mean very much to me. (accurate-inaccurate)
The truly religious person is sure that his beliefs are correct. (agree- disagree)
My interest in and real commitment to religion is greater now than when I first joined the Church. (accurate- inaccurate)
VI. Openness to Religious Growth
The truly religious person steadily strives to grow in knowledge and understanding of what it means to live as a child of God. (agree- disagree)
The truly religious person feels compelled to continue growing in understanding of his faith. (agree- disagree)
The truly religious person is so secure in his faith that his mind is always open to explore new religious ideas. (agree-disagree)
The truly religious person strives to be moral in all aspects of everyday life. (agree- disagree)
The truly religious person is likely to have sincere and searching questions about the nature of a life of faith in God. (agree- disagree)
VII a . Dogmatism
The truly religious person is sure that his beliefs are correct. (agree- disagree)
The truly religious person is sure that he is living in right relationship to God and men. (agree -disagree)
The truly religious person believes honestly and wholeheartedly in the doctrines of his church. (agree -disagree)
When a congregation or its pastor are frequently criticized by respectable citizen s of the community‚ that church is probably not preaching the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. (agree-disagree)
Being confident that I am saved‚ I do not need to change or increase my religious knowledge and belief. (accurate- inaccurate)
VII b. Extrinsic Orientation
The purpose of worship and prayer is to gain personal security and happiness. (agree -disagree)
Religion helps to keep my life balanced and steady in the same way as my citizenship‚ friendships‚ and other memberships do. (accurate-inaccurate)
The Church is most important as a place to formulate good social relationships. (agree -disagree)
The purpose of worship and prayer is to ask God to help us. (agree-disagree)
The main reason I attend Church is to help me live a better life during the week. (accurate-inaccurate)
Church is important as a place to go for comfort and refuge from the trials and problems of life. (agree-disagree)
The main reason I attend Church is to learn more about religion. (accurate-inaccurate)
Church membership has helped me to meet the right kind of people. (accurate-inaccurate)
The Church is important to me as a place where I get the understanding and courage for dealing with the trials and problems of life. (agree- disagree)
VIII a . Financial Behavior
During the last year‚ what was the average monthly contribution of your family to your local congregation? (under $5-$50 and up)
Last year‚ approximately what percent of your total family income was contributed to the Church? (1% or less- 10% or more)
In proportion to your income‚ do you consider that your contributions to the Church are: (generous-small)
Are your financial contributions to the Church: a) a planned amount (per week‚ month‚ etc.)‚ b) irregularly‚ but fairly often‚ c) irregularly several times a year‚ d) seldom or never?
During the last year‚ how often have you made contributions to the Church in addition to the general budget and Sunday school? (regularly-never)
VIII b. Financial Attitude
I enjoy giving money to the Church. (accurate-inaccurate)
Churches talk too much about money and not enough about what it means to be a Christian. (agree-disagree)
The more liberally I support the Church financially‚ the closer I feel to it and to God. (accurate-inaccurate)
IX. Talking and Reading about Religion
How often do you talk about religion with your friends‚ neighbors‚ or fellow workers? (regularly-never)
How often have you personally tried to convert someone to faith in God? (regularly-never)
When faced by decisions regarding social problems and issues‚ how often do you seek guidance from statements and publications by the Church? (regularly-never)
In talking with members of your family how often do you yourself mention religion or religious activities? (regularly – never)
How often in the last year have you invited someone to join or visit your church? (regularly-never)
How often do you read religious non-fiction books‚ other than the Bible? (regularly-never)
How often do you read the Bible? (regularly-never)
1- ‘Credal Assent and Personal Commitment’; 2- ‘Participation in Congregational Activities’;3- ‘Personal Religious Experience’;4- ‘Personal Ties in the Congregation’;5- ‘Commitment to Intellectual Search Despite Doubt’;6- ‘Openness to Religious Growth’;7- ‘Dogmatism’;8- ‘Extrinsic Orientation’;9- ‘Financial Behaviour and Financial Attitude’;10- ‘Talking and Reading about Religion’.
This instrument can be found at: Measures of social psychological attitudes
King‚ Morton B. (1967). “Measuring the Religious Variable: Nine Proposed Dimensions.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion‚ 6‚173–85.
King‚ Morton B. and Richard A. Hunt. (1969). “Measuring the Religious Variable: Amended Findings.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 8:321–23.
Robinson‚ John P.‚ Shaver‚ Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research‚ University of Michigan/. Ann Arbor‚ Michigan.
King‚ M. and Hunt‚ R. (1972). “Measuring the Religious Variable: Replication”‚ Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion‚ 11‚ 240-251
King‚ M. and Hunt‚ R. (1975). Measuring the religious variable: National replication’ Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion‚ 14‚ 13-22.