Citation

Krause N. J. Sci. Study Relig. 2009; 48(4): 756-773.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1468-5906.2009.01477.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study has two goals. The first goal is to see if church-based social relationships are associated with change in self-esteem. Emotional support from fellow church members and having a close personal relationship with God serve as measures of church-based social ties. The second goal is to see whether emotional support from fellow church members is more strongly associated with self-esteem than emotional support from secular social network members. The data come from an ongoing nationwide survey of older adults. The findings reveal that having a close personal relationship with God is associated with a stronger sense of self-esteem at the baseline and follow-up interviews. In contrast, emotional support from fellow church members was not associated with self-esteem at either point in time. However, emotional support from secular social network members is related to self-esteem at the baseline but not the follow-up interview.