Divine Forgiveness and Psychological Health: The Role of Divine Intervention

Divine forgiveness, or forgiveness by a Supreme Being or higher power, is central to several religions and likely impacts human behavior. Therefore, the present study examines its association with indicators of psychological distress (depressive symptoms) and well-being (flourishing), as well as how belief in an intervening God may impact these associations. A sample of emerging adults (N = 438) attending a U.S. university completed an online survey that assessed divine forgiveness, belief in a God who intervenes in the world, religiosity, depressive symptoms, and flourishing. Partial correlations and moderation analyses examined several hypotheses on the correlates of divine forgiveness. Divine forgiveness was inversely related to depressive symptoms and positively related to flourishing. However, these associations were moderated by belief in a God or Supreme Being who actively intervenes in the world. As belief in such divine intervention increased, the relation between the experience of divine forgiveness and depressive symptoms and flourishing became stronger. All results were found to be independent of levels of religiosity. The findings are discussed in regard to several additional factors that might point to a more nuanced association between the perception of divine forgiveness and psychological functioning. The implications of the results for future research are also outlined.