Cognitive antecedents of gratitude to God: the role of divine forgiveness

Abstract

Research on gratitude to God and divine forgiveness have emerged independently of each other. Two studies integrate these literatures by examining the role of divine forgiveness in reports of gratitude to God. Study 1 (N = 211) shows that the two constructs are strongly related independently of religiosity and that divine forgiveness predicts gratitude to God six weeks later. Study 2 (N = 194) used a two-wave panel design with a 12-week interval to examine the direction of effects. Structural equation modeling showed that earlier divine forgiveness predicted later gratitude to God independently of the stability of the constructs, the magnitude of their initial association, and religiosity. Initial levels of gratitude to God did not predict later divine forgiveness, consistent with a unidirectional effect from divine forgiveness to gratitude to God. These findings are discussed in relation to the nature of gratitude to God, and several directions for future research are outlined.