Dimensions of Religious Commitment

Abstract

The Dimensions of Religious Commitment scale, developed by Charles Y. Glock and Rodney Stark in 1966, represents a foundational effort in the sociology and psychology of religion to measure religiosity as a multidimensional construct. Moving beyond simplistic measures like mere church attendance, the instrument operationalizes the theoretical five-dimensional model proposed by Glock (1962). The scale items provided here specifically target four key dimensions: Belief, Ritual, Experience, and Knowledge, providing indices such as Orthodoxy, Particularism, Ethicalism, Ritual Involvement, and Devotionalism, thereby offering a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s religious orientation and commitment.

Keywords

Religious commitment, Religiosity, Glock and Stark, Belief dimension, Ritual dimension, Religious experience, Orthodoxy, Devotionalism, Psychological scale, Sociology of religion

Authors

Charles Y. Glock, Rodney Stark

Purpose

The primary purpose of the psychological scale is to systematically quantify and differentiate the various components comprising an individual’s religious life and commitment. Prior research often treated religiosity as a unitary concept, but Glock and Stark aimed to demonstrate that religious commitment is fractured into several distinct, though potentially correlated, dimensions. By measuring these facets independently, researchers can achieve a more nuanced understanding of how religious orientation influences social attitudes and behavior.

Specifically, the scale was designed to facilitate empirical research into interfaith and intrafaith differences, allowing for comparisons across denominations regarding core belief adherence, participation in rituals, subjective spiritual experiences, theological knowledge, and the ethical consequences of faith.

Construct

The scale measures Religious Commitment based on Glock’s seminal “Five Dimensions of Religiosity” (5-D Model). This theoretical framework posits that religious life can be analyzed through five distinct, empirically measurable dimensions:

• The Belief Dimension (Ideological): What the individual believes, encompassing doctrinal orthodoxy and acceptance of core tenets (e.g., existence of God, divinity of Christ, acceptance of miracles).
• The Ritual Dimension (Practice): What the individual does, including participation in formal religious practices (e.g., church attendance) and informal devotional practices (e.g., private prayer).
• The Experiential Dimension (Feeling): The subjective emotional and spiritual feelings associated with the religion (e.g., feeling the presence of God, being saved).
• The Knowledge Dimension (Cognitive): The individual’s familiarity with the basic tenets, scriptures, history, and doctrines of their faith.
• The Consequential Dimension (Effect): The effects of religious adherence on secular life, encompassing moral behavior, ethical conduct, and social attitudes toward the world.

The items presented in this instrument primarily focus on the first four dimensions, particularly differentiating between Orthodoxy (doctrinal correctness), Particularism (exclusivity of salvation), Ritual Involvement (public practice), and Devotionalism (private practice).

Validity

While the original publication by Glock and Stark (1965) focused heavily on the theoretical justification and application of the model, subsequent studies have provided evidence regarding its validity. The model achieved significant face validity and content validity due to its comprehensive coverage of religious life as understood by theologians and sociologists.

Empirical studies, such as those by Faulkner and DeJong (1966), often used factor analysis to test the structural validity of the 5-D model. These analyses generally supported the multidimensional nature of religiosity, confirming that the dimensions were distinguishable, although sometimes highly correlated, particularly within homogenous religious groups. The scale demonstrates criterion validity by showing expected relationships between specific dimensions (e.g., Ritual involvement) and external religious behaviors.

Reliability

Specific reliability coefficients (such as Cronbach’s Alpha or test-retest reliability) are not provided in the foundational source material, but the indices derived from these items have been widely adopted and tested in subsequent research. The indices, particularly the Orthodoxy Index and the Ritual Involvement Index, are generally considered robust for measuring their respective facets of commitment.

The strength of the scale lies in its ability to generate multiple, distinct indices rather than a single global score, enhancing its utility for researchers studying specific aspects of religious practice or ritual adherence. Researchers utilizing this framework typically report satisfactory internal consistency for the derived subscales when applied to specific populations.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the Dimensions of Religious Commitment is based on the theoretical five-factor model proposed by Glock. Early empirical investigations, including the seminal work by Faulkner and DeJong (1966), provided empirical evidence supporting the separation of the dimensions. However, these analyses often revealed high intercorrelations among certain dimensions (e.g., Belief, Ritual, and Experience often load together in highly committed populations), suggesting that while they are theoretically distinct, they may merge empirically depending on the sample studied.

The factor structure confirms that variables measuring cognitive assent (Orthodoxy) are distinct from those measuring public behavior (Ritual Involvement) and private Devotionalism. The success of the model lies in its ability to serve as a robust framework for subsequent factor analytic studies across different religious traditions, including adaptations for Islam, as noted by El-Menouar (2014).

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Attitude Scale

Format: Multiple-choice questions, ranging from binary (Yes/No) to Likert-type frequency scales.

Language Available: Primarily English; widely adapted and translated into numerous languages for cross-cultural studies.

Population Group: General population, specifically individuals affiliated with or being studied within Christian denominations in the United States (original context).

Age Group: Adults and adolescents capable of understanding complex theological concepts.

Population Details: Originally utilized in large-scale sociological surveys of religious behavior and attitudes.

Test Methodology: Assesses commitment across multiple dimensions using distinct indices rather than a single total score. Scoring is generally achieved by assigning ordinal values to responses and summing them within each index (e.g., Orthodoxy Index, Ritual Involvement Index).

Keywords

Glock’s 5-D model, Orthodoxy Index, Particularism Index, Ethicalism, Religious Knowledge, Measures of social psychological attitudes, Christian religiosity

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not available in source content)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not available in source content)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not available in source content)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original scale was published in 1966 as part of broader sociological research. The items are widely cited and reproduced in academic literature, making them generally accessible for non-commercial research purposes. The instrument is available in the compilation Measures of social psychological attitudes. The original PDF can be downloaded here: Measures of social psychological attitudes.

Reference’s

Glock, Charles Y. (1962). “On the Study of Religious Commitment.” Research Supplement to Religious Education 57, 98–110.

Glock, C. and Stark, R. (1965). Religion and society in tension. Chicago: Rand McNally.

Faulkner, J. and DeJong, G. (1966). Religiosity in 5-D: an empirical analysis. Social Forces, 45, 246-254.

Robinson, John P., Shaver, Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Glock Charles Y. (1972). Images of ‘God,’ Images of Man, and the Organization of Social Life. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 11(1):1–15.

Davidson, James D. (1975). “Glock’s Model of Religious Commitment: Assessing Some Different Approaches and Results.” Review of Religious Research 16:83–93.

El-Menouar, Yasemin. (2014). The Five Dimensions of Muslim Religiosity. Results of an Empirical Study. methods, data, analyses, 8(1), 53-78 DOI: 10.12758/mda.2014.003.

Items of the Dimensions of Religious Commitment

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

I. Belief Dimension

A. Orthodoxy Index

1. Which of the following statements comes closest to expressing what you believe about God? (Please check only one answer.)

a) I know God really exists and I have no doubts about it.

b) While I have doubts, I feel that I do believe in God.

c) I find myself believing in God some of the time, but not a t other times.

d) I don’t believe in a personal God, but I do believe in a higher power of some kind.

e) I don’t know whether there is a God and I don’t believe there is any way to find out.

f) I don’t believe in God.

g) None of the above represents what I believe. What I believe about God is. (please specify)

2. Which of the following statements comes closest to expressing what you believe about Jesus? (Check only one answer.)

a) Jesus is the Divine Son of God and I have no doubts about it.

b) While I have some doubts, I feel basically that Jesus is Divine.

c) I feel that Jesus was a great man and very holy, but I don’t feel Him to be the Son of God any more than all of us are children of God.

d) I think that Jesus was only a man although an extraordinary one.

e) Frankly, I’m not entirely sure there was such a person as Jesus.

f) None of the above represents what I believe. What I believe about Jesus is. (please specify)

3. The Bible tells of many miracles, some credited to Christ and some to other prophets and apostles. Generally speaking, which of the following statements comes closest to what you believe about Biblical miracles? (Check only one answer.)

a) I’m not sure whether these miracles really happened or not.

b) I believe miracles are stories and never really happened.

c) I believe the miracles happened, but can be explained by natural causes.

d) I believe the miracles actually happened just as the Bible says they did.

4. The Devil actually exists. (Check how certain you are this is true.)

a) Completely true

b) Probably true

c) Probably not true

d) Definitely not true

B. Particularism Index (measuring the importance of holding one’s own particular beliefs.)

1. Do you think belief in Jesus Christ as Saviour is …

a) absolutely necessary for salvation

b) would probably help

c) probably has no influence

2. Do you think being a member of your particular religious faith is …

a) absolutely necessary for salvation

b) would probably help

c) probably has no influence

3. Do you think being completely ignorant of Jesus, as might be the case for people living in other countries, will …

a) Definitely prevent salvation

b) may possibly prevent salvation

c) probably has no influence on salvation

C. Ethicalism (concern for others)

1. Do you think doing good for others is …

a) absolutely necessary for salvation

b) would probably help

c) probably has no influence

2. Do you think loving thy neighbor is …

a) absolutely necessary for salvation

b) would probably help

c) probably has no influence

II. Ritual Dimension

A. Ritual Involvement Index

1. How often do you attend Sunday worship services? (Check the answer which comes closest to describing what you do.)

a) Every week

b) Nearly every week

c) About three times a month

d) About twice a month

e) About once a month

f) About every six weeks

g) About every three months

h) About once or twice a year

i) Less than once a year

j) Never

2. How often, if at all, are table prayers or grace said before or after meals in your home?

a) We say grace at all meals

b) We say grace at least once a day

c) We say grace at least once a week

d) We say grace, but only on special occasions

e) We never, or hardly ever, say grace

B. Devotionalism Index

1. How often do you pray privately? (Check the answer which comes closest to what you do.)

a) I never pray, or only do so at church services.

b) I pray only on very special occasions.

c) I pray once in a while, but not at regular intervals.

d) I pray quite often, but n o t at regular times.

e) I pray regularly once a day or more.

f) I pray regularly several times a week.

g) I pray regularly once a week.

2. How important is prayer in your life?

a) Extremely important

b) Fairly important

c) Not too important

d) Not important

III. Experiential Dimension: Religious Experience Index

Listed below are a number of experiences of a religious nature which people have reported having. Since you have been an adult have you ever had any of these experiences, and how sure are you that you had it?

• A feeling that you were somehow in the presence of God… (Yes, I’m sure I have; Yes, I think I have; No)
• A sense of being saved in Christ… (Yes, I’m sure I have; Yes, I think I have; No)
• A feeling of being afraid of God… (Yes, I’m sure I have; Yes, I think I have; No)
• A feeling of being punished by God for something you had done… (Yes, I’m sure I have; Yes, I think I have; No)
• A feeling of being tempted by the Devil . . . (Yes, I’m sure I have; Yes, I think I have; No)

IV. Religious Knowledge: Religious Knowledge Index

A. Scripture Quotations. Please read each of the following statements and do two things: first, decide whether the statement is from the Bible or not; and second, in dicate whether or not you agree with the statement. (Please do this even if you think the statement is not from the Bible.)

1. For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter in to the kingdom of God.

From the Bible? Yes; No

Do you agree? Yes; No

2. Blessed are the strong: for they shall be the sword of God.

From the Bible? Yes; No

Do you agree? Yes; No

3. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

From the Bible? Yes; No

Do you agree? Yes; No

4. Let your women keep silence i n the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak.

From the Bible? Yes; No

Do you agree? Yes; No

5. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.

From the Bible? Yes; No

Do you agree? Yes; No

B. Prophets

Which of the following were Old Testament prophets? (Check as many answers as you think are correct.)

• () Elijah
• () Deuteronomy
• () Jeremiah
• () Paul
• () Levitius
• () Ezekiel
• () None of these