Giving Thanks: Spiritual and Religious Correlates of Gratitude

Abstract

Gratitude is a Christian virtue and an emotional disposition that has recently become the focus of systematic scientific research. We explore first the theological origins of gratitude as a virtue that is emphasized in Judeo-Christian traditions, and we then examine spiritual and religious predictors of dispositional gratitude and grateful emotions measured on a daily basis in a sample of persons with neuromuscular disease (NMDs). In this primarily Christian sample, grateful emotions and tendencies were related to both conventional religious practices (e.g., church attendance and reading the Bible) as well as to spiritual self-transcendence. Sanctification through personal goals (the perceived degree to which strivings enable one to feel closer to God) was also predictive of gratitude. Some implications of the research for psychospiritual assessment, religion and health, and the integration of psychology and theology are discussed. Let the peace of Christ mle in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col. 3: 15-17). Gratitude, the affirmation of a bond between giver and receiver, is central to the humandivine relationship. As long as people have believed in God, believers have sought ways to express gratitude and thanksgiving to this God, their ultimate giver. Gratitude is thus a universal religious sentiment, evident in the thank offerings described in ancient scriptures to contemporary praise and worship music. The idea that one should reflect upon the abundance of God's gifts, and express that in thanksgiving and praise is a theme that permeates texts, prayers, and teachings of Biblical faith. In both Jewish and Christian worldviews, gratitude is the appropriate response to the benevolence of a creator whose purposes are the well-being of the world and its inhabitants (Plantinga, 2000). Because of its centrality in Christian theology, it would not be an exaggeration to say that gratiCorrespondence concerning this article should be