Benson‚ Donahue & Erickson‚ 1993
1. I am concerned that our country is not doing enough to help the poor
2. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on a cross and rose again
3. My faith shapes how I think and act every day
4. I help others with their religious questions and struggles
5. I tend to be critical of other people (R)
6. In my free time‚ I help people who have problems or needs
7. My faith helps me know right from wrong
8. I do things to help protect the environment
9. I devote time to reading and studying the Bible
10.I have a hard time accepting myself (R)
11.Every day I see evidence that God is active in the world
12.I take excellent care of my physical health
13.I am active in efforts to promote social justice
14.I seek out opportunities to help me grow spiritually
15.I take time for periods of prayer or meditation
16.I am active in efforts to promote world peace
17.I accept people whose religious beliefs are different from mine
18.I feel a deep sense of responsibility for reducing pain and suffering in the world
19.As I grow older‚ my understanding of God changes
20.I feel overwhelmed by all the responsibilities and obligations I have
21.I give significant portions of time and money to help other people
22.I speak out for equality for women and minorities
23.I feel God’s presence in my relationships with other people
24.My life is filled with meaning and purpose
25.I do not understand how a loving God can allow so much pain and suffering in the world (R)
26.I believe that I must obey God’s rules and commandments in order to be saved (R)
27.I am confident that I can overcome any problem or crisis no matter how serious
28.I care a great deal about reducing poverty in the United States and throughout the world
29.I try to apply my faith to political and social issues
30.My life is committed to Jesus Christ
31.I talk with other people about my faith
32.My life is filled with stress and anxiety
33.I go out of my way to show love to people I meet
34.I have a real sense that God is guiding me
35.I do not want the churches of this nation getting involved in political issues (R)
36.I like to worship and pray with others
37.I think Christians must be about the business of creating international understanding and harmony
38.I am spiritually moved by the beauty of God’s creation enough to help the poor
(R) = Indicates item is reverse scored.
The short form of FMS
Ji‚ 2004
1. I help others with their religious questions and struggles.*
2. I seek opportunities to help me spiritually
3. I feel a sense of responsibility for reducing pain and suffering in the world.*
4. I give significant portions of time and money to help other people.*
5. I feel God’s presence in my relationships with other people.
6. I feel my life is filled with meaning and purpose.
7. I care a great deal about reducing poverty in my country and throughout the world.*
8. I apply my faith to political and social issues.*
9. The things I do reflect a commitment to Jesus Christ.
10.I talk with other people about my faith.
11.I have a real sense that God is guiding me.
12.I am spiritually moved by the beauty of God’s creation.
* Items for horizontal dimension‚ as suggested in Ji (2004).
Vertical faith (FMS-V) and Horizontal faith (FMSH)
Cronbach’s alpha‚ estimates ranged from .84 to .90
The short form of FMS‚ Vertical (.89)‚ Horizontal (.77)‚ Total score (.87)
1 Never true‚ 2 Rarely true‚ 3 True once in a while‚ 4 Sometimes true‚ 5 Often true‚ 6 Almost always true‚ 7 Always true
Benson‚ P. L.‚ Donahue‚ M. J.‚ & Erickson‚ J. A. (1993). The Faith Maturity Scale: Conceptualization‚ measurement‚ and empirical validation. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion‚ 5‚ 1-26.
Benson‚ Peter L.‚ Donahue‚ Michael J.‚ & Erickson‚ Joseph A. (1993). “The Faith Maturity Scale: Conceptualization‚ Measurement‚ and Empirical Validation.” In Lynn‚ Monty L.‚ & Moberg‚ David O. (eds.)‚ Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion (vol. 5)‚ Greenwich‚ CT: JAI Press‚ 1-26.
Tisdale‚ T. C. (1999). Faith Maturity Scale (Benson‚ Donahue‚ & Erickson‚ 1993). In P. C. Hill & R. W. Hood (Eds.)‚ Measures of religiosity (pp. 171-174). Birmingham‚ AL: Religious Education Press.
Ji‚ C.-H. C. (2004). Faith maturity and doctrinal orthodoxy: A validity study of the faith maturity scale. Psychological Reports‚ 95‚ 993-998.
HUI‚ C. Harry.‚ Eddie Chi Wai NG.‚ Doris Shui Ying MOK.‚ Esther Yuet Ying LAU.‚ and Shu-Fai CHEUNG. (2011).“Faith Maturity Scale” for Chinese: A Revision and Construct Validation. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion‚ 21(4): 308-322
