Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2009 Conceptualizations of God by Lutheran laypeople Ashley Burgess Leininger Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Leininger, Ashley Burgess, "Conceptualizations of God by Lutheran laypeople" (2009). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 10805. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/10805 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Conceptualizations of God by Lutheran laypeople by Ashley Burgess Leininger A thesis submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Major: Sociology Program of Study Committee: David Schweingruber, Major Professor Gloria Jones-Johnson Carl Roberts Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2009 Copyright © Ashley Burgess Leininger, 2009. All rights reserved. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ v INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 Thesis Structure ............................................................................................................ 1 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................... 3 Historical Conceptualizations of God ........................................................................... 3 Instruments Employed .................................................................................................. 3 Previous Study Findings ............................................................................................... 6 Beginning of the Research on God Concepts ......................................................... 6 Class ........................................................................................................................ 8 Gender Differences ................................................................................................. 9 Societal Differences .............................................................................................. 10 Images of God ............................................................................................................. 11 Need for Qualitative Methodology ............................................................................. 13 METHODS ....................................................................................................................... 19 Research Design .......................................................................................................... 19 Research Participants .................................................................................................. 21 Interview Process ........................................................................................................ 24 Sample Characteristics ................................................................................................ 26 Data Analysis .............................................................................................................. 28 RESEARCH FINDINGS .................................................................................................. 30 What is God Like? ...................................................................................................... 30 God is Loving and Nurturing ................................................................................ 30 God is Distant ....................................................................................................... 32 God is a Friend and Companion ........................................................................... 32 God is Controlling and Judging ............................................................................ 35 God has Physical Human Attributes ..................................................................... 36 Knowing God is Unknowable ............................................................................... 39 Life Events and Conceptualizations ...................................................................... 41 How People Know God .............................................................................................. 44 Knowing God Theologically: The Bible as a Source ........................................... 44 Knowing God: Through Personal Experiences ..................................................... 46 Knowing God: Others as a Source ........................................................................ 52 The Trinity .................................................................................................................. 54 The Trinity through Stories and Parables ............................................................. 55 Understanding different Persons of the Trinity .................................................... 57 The Situational Nature of the Trinity .................................................................... 64 LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................................. 69 iii DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................ 70 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................. 74 APPENDIX 1: RECRUITMENT FLYER........................................................................ 79 APPENDIX 2: INFORMED CONSENT ......................................................................... 80 APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS .................................................................... 83 APPENDIX 4: RESPONDENT LIFE EVENTS AND CONCEPTUALIZATIONS ...... 85 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. 91 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Lutheran Religious Places of Worship in Davenport, IA ................................... 21 Table 2: Sampled Church Schematics .............................................................................. 22 Table 3: Sample Characteristics by Sex and Age ............................................................. 27 Table 4: Respondent Characteristics ................................................................................. 28 Table 5: Respondent Life Events and Conceptualizations ............................................... 42 v ABSTRACT God concept researchers have used quantitative methodology exclusively. The Likert Scale combined with the Adjective Rating of God Scale is the most common measurement used in God concept research. The Adjective Rating of God Scale (Gorsuch, 1968) measures conceptualizations of God through a list of adjectives describing God. Combined with the Likert scale, researchers have measured relationships between adjectives, sex, and religious denomination. Although research that has employed these methods has yielded intriguing information, it has not been able to fully explore the area of God concept research. It is argued this scheme ignores three important topics in God concept research. First, the fact that Christians believe in the Trinity. Second, how the God concepts are formed, and finally, how people know God. After providing a brief summary of the primary survey instruments used followed by a brief account of the historical and contemporary studies associated with God concept research, this paper will discuss four familiar God concepts: (1) God is Loving and Nurturing, (2) God is Distant, (3) God is a Friend and Companion, and (4) God is Controlling and Judging. These are followed by two unfamiliar concepts: (1) God has physical human attributes (2) and God is ultimately unknowable. Three sources of how people know God are discussed: (1) the Bible as a source, (2) personal experience, and (3) through others. Finally, findings are presented indicating the Trinity allows for a situational God. 1 INTRODUCTION Religion continues to be an important influence in the lives of individuals. Throughout the world, different religions have emerged as people search for meaning and fulfillment. Religion has changed constantly throughout time. This change has not only mirrored society, as Durkheim would say, but has also shaped society. In order to understand a religion, one needs to understand how its adherents comprehend the deity associated with it. This study investigates how Lutheran laypeople (members of the Evangelical Church in America) conceptualize God. Specifically, this study assesses church members’ God images through their own narratives I conducted 17 in-depth face-to-face interviews with parishioners at an ELCA church. My primary goal was to allow individuals to tell their stories about what they thought God was like. My questions also focused on the formation of their image of God and how this image relates to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Thesis Structure