In recent years, drawing upon Ideas from psychology, theology, and other
disciplines,
sociologists have shown a growing interest in religious coping
strategies (Ellison 1993,1994).
First, religious values can diminish the degree to
which a given event or condition is perceived to be a threat
— e.g., it can be redefined as a challenge or an opportunity.
In certain circumstances, religious redefnitions may also suggest problem - solving strategies that were not initially apparent.
Second, religious cognition (s) may help individuals to manage the
emotional consequences of stressor (s)(an event that causes stress to an organism) t้้hat are less malleable — e.g., by reassuring
them that God cares about their suffering, or that the event or condition is
meaningful, part of a broader divine plan. Certain events or conditions —
e.g., serious accidents, bereavement, major illnesses ~ may be especially
amenable to religious coping because
(1) they are "boundary experiences,"
challenging even the existence of human life as we know it,
(2) they undermine
our common sense beliefs that the world is just and predictable, and
(3) unlike other events, they do not always lend themselves to satisfying nonreligious
accounts (Foley 1988).
Third, religious practices may regulate stress-related
emotions by simply diverting one's attention from the problematic condition.