Is God wrathful and ready to mete out punishment to the evil and unbelieving? Or is God a more benevolent creator? Does God influence events on Earth, or merely watch human affairs unfold from afar?
Such questions have been debated by scholars and theologians for millenniums, and now a study released by Baylor University explores how Americans answer these and other questions about the nature of God.
Among the more striking findings, researchers said, were responses to questions concerning how people viewed God’s connection – or anger – with the world. Distinct patterns emerged, leading researchers at the Texas-based university to identify what they called “America’s four gods.”
For convenience, they gave each a name:
Authoritarian God: A God who is “very judgmental and engaged” with the world.
Benevolent God: A God who is not judgmental but still very active in human affairs.
Distant God: A God who is removed from human affairs.
Critical God: A God who does not interact with the world, but who still views some events on Earth with disfavor.
The report noted that previous studies by various researchers have consistently found that about 85 percent to 90 percent of Americans answered “yes” when asked if they believe in God. To the uncritical observer, these findings might suggest a uniformity of religious thought among Americans.
“In fact,” the study said, “under the surface, American religion is startlingly complex and diverse. Americans may agree that God exists. They do not agree on what God is like, what God wants for the world, or how God feels about politics.”
The “four gods” embody these differences. For example, Americans in the East trend toward a Critical God, Southerners toward an Authoritarian God. Midwesterners believe more in a Benevolent God, while those in the West perceive a Distant God.
Researchers also found what they called a “strong gender effect in belief in God.” Women tended toward a more engaged deity – the Authoritarian or Benevolent God – while men tended toward a God less involved in the world.
The study, funded by the John M. Templeton Foundation, was based on polling conducted by the Gallup Organization last December. The poll had 1,721 respondents, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Researchers at Baylor began analyzing the material this spring.
The entire report can be accessed through the university’s Web site, www.baylor.edu.
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