EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD CONCEPT, GOD IMAGE AND LOCUS OF CONTROL, WITH ATTACHMENT TO GOD AS A MEDIATOR

Abstract

This study builds on previous proposals that argue for the differentiation of God image and God concept, where God image is often conceptualised as emotional and relational understanding of God, and God concept is the theological and cognitive understanding of God. In this study, both God image and concept were studied in relation to other related variables, attachment to God and locus of control. Results of this study showed a significant statistical difference between all dimensions of God image and God concept that were studied. Participants consistently reported experiencing God as less Benevolent than their theological understanding of Him, and this result was found in wrathfulness, companionable and omniness dimensions as well. The results also indicated that some God image dimensions predicted some locus of control dimensions over and above God concept, and attachment to God was found to significantly them. Altogether, these findings provide strong empirical evidence differentiating between God image and God concept, shows that God image is more salient than God concept in predicting locus of control, and that attachment to God mediates the relationship between God image and locus of control.