From Connection to Conviction: Psychological and Social Mechanisms Driving Passionate Religious Alignment

Abstract

The study showed an association between meaning in life, dehumanization, social networks that support political violence, and passion for religion. It was also studied whether meaning in life, dehumanization, and social networks supporting political violence significantly predicted passion for religion. A total of 354 were selected through purposive sampling from places that include prisoners, drug addicts, students, and online participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS, including regression and correlation analyses. The results showed a significant positive correlation among most of the study variables. Meaning in life and dehumanization significantly positively predicted passion for religion, while social network supporting political violence negatively predicted passion for religion. The regression analysis explained 10.3% of the variance in passion for religion (R² = .103, p < .001). The results suggest that both social and psychological factors contribute to understanding the passion for religion and give insight into factors that influence religion-related attitudes and behavior.

Keywords: Meaning in life, Dehumanization, Social networks supporting political violence, Passion for religion, Political violence