Identity Styles and Readiness to Enter into Interreligious Dialogue: The Moderating Function of Religiosity

Abstract

The aim of the study was to research moderating function of religiosity in the relationship between identity styles and the readiness to enter into interreligious dialogue in people in early, middle, and late adulthood. The result of the identity integration processes is the achievement by an adult of a specific identity style, characterized by varying levels of openness to new information and experiences, including in the area of recognized values, especially religious ones. Previous studies have addressed the problem of the relationship between identity styles and religiosity, while a clear research gap can be noticed in the search for connections between identity styles and openness to religious diversity, religious tolerance and readiness to enter into interreligious dialogue. However, relationships between identity styles and personality openness to experience have been found, which refers to, inter alia, to tolerance and exploration of the unknown. It has been shown that the informational identity style is positively associated with openness to experience, as well as with caring, the need to know, and openness to ideas. Contemporary theoretical models emphasize that the religiosity of an individual can act as a contextual framework that gives meaning and directs the individual in their interpretation, understanding, and response to life experiences. In this paper, it was assumed that the religiosity of an individual may play a moderating role in the relationship between identity styles and the readiness to enter into interreligious dialogue. The study was conducted using the Test of readiness to enter into interreligious dialogue (TGDM), Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5) and The Duke University religion index (DUREL). The study involved 450 people in early, middle, and late adulthood, maintaining the gender ratio. Statistically significant positive correlations were obtained between informational identity style and all dimensions of readiness to enter interreligious dialogue and a negative correlation of this style with personal barriers to dialogue symmetry. The moderating function of religiosity for the relationship between identity styles and readiness to enter interreligious dialogue was confirmed for three relationships.