This study examines sources of clergy stress and ministers' coping strategies. The aim was to investigate Calvinist worldviews and their effects on Presbyterian ministers' choice of coping and stress levels. Specific hypotheses and questions were derived from process-stress theory and applications in the psychology of religion, as well as from secularisation theory. The author designed and conducted three separate, related studies. The first used 54 theological students comprising the pre-ministry stage. The second, focal study was of 65 parish ministers of the Presbyterian Church in NSW. These groups were chosen for an intensive study of the influence of Calvinist beliefs on stress and coping over two stages of ministry. The third surveyed 363 adult church attenders of Presbyterian congregations in NSW for specific analyses of stress-coping processes. Data were obtained through scales, questionnaires and interviews with parish ministers. Presbyterian students scored high on religious commitment but low in their endorsement of Calvinist beliefs. Presbyterian congregations also scored high on religious commitment and moderately high on their endorsement of Presbyterian beliefs. Major findings related to attributions and religious coping. Congregational members attributed life crises and hassles to God's allowing the situation, together with other human causes. Ministers had high religious commitment and agreement with Calvinist beliefs. One third scored at clinical levels of anxiety and burnout. Stress levels were strongly related to using an external locus of coping and less strongly to deficiencies in training and equipment for ministry. These stress levels were not directly related to role conflict or specific situational measures. Overall, findings pointed to inadequacies in process-stress theory for examining occupational stress. Ministry stress was best explained as a consequence of attempts to live out a Calvinist ideal in the absence of institutional and social legitimation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/216347 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Miner, M. H., University of Western Sydney, Macarthur, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Source | THESIS_FARSS_XXX_Miner_M.xml |
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