Rize İlahiyat Dergisi

Öz

The notion of meaning in life can be defined as the subjective experience that life is valuable and worth living. Research has demonstrated that individuals who possess a strong sense of purpose tend to demonstrate positive coping mechanisms and maintain optimal mental well-being when confronted with adversity. In essence, the presence of meaning in life has been shown to enhance an individual’s resilience, thereby mitigating the risk of developing mental health conditions such as pessimism, anxiety, stress, and depression. Religious attitude, on the other hand, shapes an individual’s inner and outer life by directing his/her religious feelings, thoughts and behaviors. As a matter of fact, religious attitude plays a strong role in finding resources to solve life problems, finding explanations for stressful life events such as disappointments and frustrations by affecting the individual’s level of making sense of life. In a similar manner, the objective of the psychology of religion course is to facilitate comprehension and elucidation of the human condition, encompassing the intricacies of individuals’ emotions, cognitions, and behaviours, as well as their interactions with their immediate environment, broader culture, and their spiritual practices. The attainment of this objective is contingent upon the motivations, motives and attitudes of students towards the course. A positive attitude towards the course has been shown to have a significant impact on students’ sense of purpose and their religious attitudes. In this context, it is important to investigate the interactional relationship between the levels of making sense of life and religious attitudes of theology faculty students and their attitudes towards the psychology of religion course. The present study aims to determine whether the psychology of religion course exerts a mediating effect on the relationship between the level of religious attitude exhibited by theology faculty students and their ability to find meaning in life. The study group of the research consists of a total of 320 students, 218 female and 102 male, studying at Gümüşhane University Faculty of Theology in the 2023-2024 academic year. The study data were collected using a Personal Information Form, an Attitude Scale towards the Psychology of Religion Course, a Religious Attitude Scale, and Meaning and Purpose of Life Scales. The data were analysed with IBM SPSS Statistics 26 and Amos 24 software packages. The findings indicated a positive relationship between students’ religious attitude levels and their levels of finding meaning in life. It can thus be posited that individuals who exhibit pronounced religious attitudes are concomitantly characterised by a propensity to engage in the making of sense of life. The findings further revealed significant positive relationships and interactions between the religious attitudes of theology faculty students and their attitudes towards the psychology of religion course. It is thought that the psychology of religion course can contribute to the individual’s efforts to make sense of life by explaining religious feelings, thoughts and behaviours in terms of content and achievement. The study revealed a positive correlation between an individual’s attitude towards the psychology of religion course and the level of meaning in their life. Furthermore, it was observed that the attitude towards the psychology of religion course played a mediating role in the relationship between religious attitude and the level of meaning in life. Consequently, all hypotheses determined within the scope of the research were confirmed. The results of the study indicate that attitudes towards the psychology of religion course are significant for undergraduate students’ religious attitudes and their sense of life’s meaning. In light of these findings, it is recommended that instructors oversee students’ attitudes towards the course during the teaching process, enhance course materials and content, and incorporate diversity in terms of methodology.