An alternative view of religious complexity

This research applied the approach and methodology of self-complexity theory (Linville, 1985, 1987) to the study of religious complexity. Two studies examined the complexity and content of self-representation in the intellectual and religious domains. In Study 1, 59 university students described their roles and activities related to their intellectual and religious lives. Results supported the prediction that, among students, the intellectual domain is associated with more complex thinking about the self than is the religious domain. In Study 2,32 students and 32 churchgoers described their roles and activities generally and as related to their intellectual and religious lives. As predicted, participants' general self-complexity was greater than complexity in either specific domain; intellectual self-complexity was greater among students than among church- goers, and religious self-complexity was greater among churchgoers than among students. Complex self-representation in the religious domain correlated positively with the Intrinsic and Quest religious orientations, but not with the Extrinsic orientation. The self-complexity approach to the study of religious complexity appears promising.