Religiosity Scales
Faulkner and DeJong‚ 1965
Ideological Scale
1. Do you believe that the world will come to an end according to the will of God?
1. Yes‚ I believe this.
2. I am uncertain about this.
3. No‚ I do not believe this.)
2. Which of the following statements most clearly describes your idea about the Deity?
1. I believe In a Divine God‚ Creator of the Universe‚ Who knows my innermost thoughts and feelings‚ and to whom one day I shall be accountable.
2. I believe in a power greater than myself‚ which some people call God and some people call Nature.
3. I believe in the worth of humanity but not in a God or a Supreme Being.
4. The so-called universal mysteries are ultimately knowable according to the scientific method based on natural laws.
5. I am not quite sure what I believe .
6. I am an a theist.
3. Do you believe that it is necessary for a person to repent before God will forgive his sins?
1. Yes‚ God’s forgiveness comes only after repentance.
2. No‚ God does not demand repentance.
3. I am not in need of repentance.
4. Which one of the following best expresses your opinion of God acting in history?
1. God has and continues to act in the history of mankind.
2. God acted in previous periods but is not active at the present time.
3. God does not act I n human history.
5. Which of the following best expresses your view of the Bible?
1. The Bible is God’s word and all it says is true.
2. The Bible was written by men inspired by God‚ and its basic moral and religious teachings are true‚ but because writers were men‚ it contains some human errors
3. The Bible is a valuable book because it was written by wise and good men‚ but God had nothing to do with it .
4. The Bible was written by men who lived so long ago that it is of little value today.
Intellectual Scale
1. How do you personally view the story of creation as recorded in Genesis?
1. Literally true history.
2. A symbolic account which is no better or worse than any other account of the beginning.
3. Not a valid account of creation.
2. Which of the following best expresses your opinion concerning miracles?
1. I believe the report of the miracles in the Bible; that is‚ they occurred through a setting aside of natural laws by a higher power.
2. I do not believe in the so-called miracles of the Bible. Either such events did not occur at all‚ or‚ if they did‚ the report is inaccurate‚ and they could be explained upon scientific grounds if we had the actual facts.
3. I neither believe nor disbelieve the so-called miracles of the Bible. No evidence which I have considered seems to prove conclusively that they did or did not happen as recorded.
3. What is your view of the following statement: Religious truth is higher than any other form of truth.
1. Strongly agree
2. Agree
3. Disagree
4. Strongly disagree
4. Would you write the names of the four Gospels?
(What are the first five books of the Old Testament?--used for Jewish respondents.)
Three or more books correctly identified.
Ritualistic Scale
1. Do you feel it is possible for an individual to develop a well-rounded religious life apart from the institutional church?
1. No
2. Uncertain
3. Yes
2. How much time during a week would you say you spend reading the Bible and other religious literature?
1. One hour or more
2. One-half hour
3. None
3. How many of the past four Sabbath worship services have you attended?
1. Three or more
2. Two
3. One
4. None
4. Which of the following beat describes your participation in the act of prayer?
1. Prayer is a regular part of my behavior.
2. I pray primarily in times of stress and/or need‚ but not much otherwise.
3. Prayer is restricted pretty much to formal worship services.
4. Prayer is only incidental to my life.
5. I never pray.
5. Do you believe that for your marriage the ceremony should be performed by:
1. A religious official.
2. Either a religious official or a civil authority.
3. A civil authority.
Experiential Scale
1. Would you say that one’s religious commitment gives life a certain purpose which it could not otherwise have?
1. Strongly agree
2. Agree
3. Disagree
2. All religions stress that belief normally includes some experience of “union” with the divine. Are there particular moments when you feel “close” to the divine?
1. Frequently
2. Occasionally
3. Rarely
4. Never
3. Would you say that religion offers a sense of security in the face of death which is not otherwise possible?
1. Agree
2. Uncertain
3. Disagree
4. How would you respond to the statement: “Religion provides the individual with an interpretation of his existence which could not be discovered by reason alone.”
1. Strongly agree
2. Agree
3. Disagree
5. Faith‚ meaning putting full confidence in the things we hope for and being certain of things we cannot see‚ is essential to one’s religious life .
1. Agree
2. Uncertain
3. Disagree
Consequential Scale
1. What is your feeling about the operation of non-essential businesses on the Sabbath?
1. They should not be open.
2. I am uncertain about this.
3. They have a legitimate right to be open.
2. A boy and a girl‚ both of whom attend church frequently‚ regularly date one another and have entered in to sexual relations with each other. Do you feel that people who give at least partial support to the church by attending its worship services should behave in this manner? Which of the following statements expresses your opinion concerning this matter?
1. People who identify themselves with the church to the extent that they participate in its worship services should uphold its moral teachings as well.
2. Sexual intercourse prior to marriage is a matter of individual responsibility.
3. Two candidates are seeking the same political office. One is a member and a strong participant in a church. The other candidate is in different‚ but not hostile‚ to religious organizations. Other factors being equal‚ do you think the candidate identified with the church would be a better public servant than the one who has no interest in religion?
1. He definitely would.
2. He probably would.
3. Uncertain.
4. He probably would not.
5. He definitely would not.
4. Suppose you are living next door to a person who confides in you that each year he puts down on his income tax a $50.00 contribution to the church in “loose change‚” even though he knows that while he does contribute some money to the church in “loose change” each year‚ the total sum is far below that amount. Do you feel that a person’s religious orientation should be reflected in all phases of his life so that such behavior is morally wrong-- that it is a form of lying?
1. Yes
2. Uncertain
3. No
This instrument can be found at: Measures of social psychological attitudes
Faulkner‚ J. E. and DeJong‚ G. F. (1965). Religiosity in 5-D: an empirical analysis. Paper presented at American Sociological Association Convention‚ in Chicago.
Glock‚ C. and Stark‚ R. Religion and society i n tension. Chicago: Rand McNally‚ 1965.
Faulkner‚ J. E. and DeJong‚ G. F. (1966). Religiosity in 5-D: An Empirical Analysis. Social Forces‚ 45(2)‚ 246–254
Robinson‚ John P.‚ Shaver‚ Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research‚ University of Michigan/. Ann Arbor‚ Michigan.
DeJong‚ G. F.‚ Faulkner‚ J. E. and Warland. Rex H. (1976). Dimensions of Religiosity Reconsidered; Evidence from a Cross-Cultural Study. Social Forces‚ 54(4)‚ 866–889