Adult Religious Education as Transformative Learning
The Use of Religious Coping Strategies as a Response to Stress
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This study is grounded in the perspective transformation theory. The impact of adult religious education and life events on coping strategies are viewed from the standpoint of transformative learning. According to Mezirow and Associates (2000), a “micro-orientation to transformative learning helps bring to light related complexities that have been overlooked in the general trend of studies that focus on perspective transformation in relation to different life events” (p. 318). In consideration of the “micro-orientation” approach, this current study examined of how African-American women’s choices of coping strategies were influenced by stressful life events, religious culture, and various demographics factors—assuming a transformative adult religious education learning environment that is founded on faith in God.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between participation in adult religious education and coping resources used by African-American women and to determine if there was a relationship between stressful life events, certain demographic variables, and the use of coping resources. A total of 126 women from Protestant churches in southeast Mississippi were surveyed using the Religious Participation Assessment (RPA), the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), the Coping Resources Inventory (CRI), and the Ways of Religious Coping Scale (WORCS). Five women participated in a follow-up interview. Pearson correlation analyses indicated positive linear relationships between RPA and CRI and RPA and WORCS; coping scores increased in proportion to level of participation in religious activities. Multiple regression analyses exploring the relationship between the experience of stressful life events, the use of coping resources, and demographic variables revealed only one statistically significant finding: stressful events decreased as age increased. Results from qualitative data collected from interviews revealed that church involvement, reading the Bible, and prayer all played a major role in transforming and sustaining these women’s lives following a disorienting dilemma. In conclusion, the results from this study suggest that participation in adult religious education is a significant coping strategy for African-American women.
About the Author
Detra is a veteran of the United States Army as well as a retired pastor and educator. She has committed over 40 years to Christian ministry and public service in various capacities such as pastoring, teaching, wellness, and healthcare justice. Detra enjoys cooking, walking, and photography.