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Hood, Hill, and Spilka (2009) Hood, R. W. Jr., Hill, P. C. and Spilka, B. 2009. The psychology of religion: An empirical approach(.), 4th ed, New York, NY: Guilford. Google Scholar, among others, present the need for meaning as a central organizing framework for understanding the psychological functions of religion. A plethora of research findings in the psychology of religion have been integrated into this overarching structure, but scholars have not systematically addressed the diverse ways goal theories fit into the need for meaning framework of religion. Thus, the personal strivings approach to understanding spiritual goals, or ultimate concerns, is introduced, and the processes by which spiritual and sanctified strivings provide meaning, significance, and agency are articulated through a description of their motivational, cognitive, and social functions. The literature shows a positive relation between the sanctification of strivings and well-being, which may be mediated by increased meaning.
Schnitker et al. (Thu,) studied this question.