Associations between religiosity and death attitudes: Different between Christians and Buddhists?

This study investigated the association between religiosity and death attitudes among Christians and Buddhists. A hundred and 23 Christians and 137 Buddhists from both sexes, matched in demographic characteristics, completed a battery of tests on death attitudes and religiosity. Multiple linear regression results confirmed that a higher level of intrinsic religiosity predicted a reduced level of fear of death and dying, and a higher level of death acceptance in both religious groups. However, extrinsic religiosity was positively associated with both death acceptance and death avoidance among Buddhists, but not Christians. Subsequent qualitative analysis revealed unique themes underlying the death attitude profiles of each religious group. Findings suggest that while both Buddhism and Christianity might protect people from death fear and promote acceptance of death through the mechanism of intrinsic religiosity, cross-religion differences in other aspects of death attitudes should not be ignored. Copyright © 2014 American Psychological Association.