Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2024

Abstract

Multiple-item indexes are ubiquitous within the sociology of religion. However, there are a growing number of articles in other disciplines that have advocated the use of single-item measures in specific circumstances. Using quantitative survey data taken from the United Kingdom, this paper contributes to this literature by exploring the impact of single and multiple item measures of religious evil on a series of social and political attitudes. The findings suggest that belief in the devil is the most consistent predictor within a multiple-item measure of religious evil and the multiple-item measure does not significantly outperform single-item measures. Indeed, the item “most evil in the world is caused by the devil” could be a more efficient measure of religious evil, particularly where it is combined with religious attendance. While further cross-cultural research on the impact of belief in religious evil remains necessary, the paper also finds some evidence to suggest that exploration of more secular beliefs in evil might be advantageous.

Comments

This article was originally published in Review of Religious Research in 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034673X241279424

Peer Reviewed

1

Copyright

Religious Research Association

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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