The interplay between how people approach religion and the moods and emotions they associate with religion: An exploratory study in Flanders (Belgium)

In the epilogue of his influential book, Wullf (1991; 1997) identified four approaches to religion which can be located in a two-dimensional space according to the dimensions Inclusion vs. Exclusion of Transcendence and Literal vs. Symbolic. The present study explores whe¬ther the moods and emotions people associate with religion are related to the way in which they approach religion. Results suggest that the inclusion of transcendence is related to associating religion with positive moods and emotions, whereas approaching religion in a literal way is related to associating religion with negative moods and emotions.