Empirical Taxonomy of Religious Individuals: An Investigation among College Students

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Abstract
Factor analytic studies of religion have suggested that several aspects of the religious phenomenon do not necessarily covary with each other. Individuals may manifest their religiosity in different ways through a unique combination of high and/or low values on religious variables. A taxonomy of religious individuals can indicate the different approaches to religiosity, i.e., what types of religious individuals there are. Using hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis, an empirical taxonomy of religious individuals was developed on questionnaire data from 220 student respondents. The research instrument was designed to cover the conceptual sphere of traditional religiosity. Seven types were found: the Outsiders, the Conservatives, the Rejectors, the Modern Religious, the Marginally Religious, the Orthodox, and the Culturally Religious. The scientific utility of the typologh was supported when differences between the types on additional demographic and religious variables were examined. The contributions made by the study are discussed in terms of the relationship between the present findings and those of past studies. Suggestions are made for subsequent research.

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