Noah revisited: Religious coping by church members and the impact of the 1993 midwest flood

This study examined the relationship between religious coping by church members and psychological and religious outcomes following the 1993 Midwest flood. Questionnaires were distributed through churches in flood-affected communities in Missouri and Illinois. The first questionnaire was completed by 209 adults 6 weeks after the flood and a follow-up was completed by 131 respondents 6 months after the flood. Correlational analyses revealed that religious dispositions, attributions, and coping activities were related to psychological and religious outcomes. Hierarchical multiple regressions showed that religious attributions and coping activities predicted psychological and religious outcomes at both 6 weeks and 6 months after controlling for flood exposure and demographics. The results also suggest that positive religious coping may mediate the relationship between religious dispositions and psychological and religious outcomes. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.