목회자의 스트레스 분석 및 대처양식에 관한 연구

목차 (Table of Contents)

• The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors of stress specified in Lazarus & Folkman''s (1984) transactional model in wider terms and from a Biblical perspective and thereupon, interpret and appraise some important elements and resources determining the stress coping behaviors, and thereby, measure pastors'' stress and their coping styles and thus, analyze differences of their stress depending on their demographic variables as well as the correlations between their stress types and coping styles.
• For this purpose, the researcher randomly sampled the pastors throughout the nation for a questionnaire survey. A total of effective 321 responses were used for the final analysis. Reliability of the item-wise variables were tested for Cronbach''s alpha coefficients, while validity of the contents was tested. The data collected were processed using the statistical package program for social science or the SPSS Win. 12.0 program.
• The results of this study can be summarized as follows;
• 1) Pastors'' stress and coping styles from a Biblical perspective
• First, as a result of interpreting the contextual factors of stress, it was found that pastors'' stress was caused not only by their personal conditions and environment but also by their spiritual existence. Namely, God and His attending angels are conflicting with the devil and corrupted angels in pastors'' spiritual and material worlds transcending time and space to stress them both positively and negatively.
• Second, in terms of interpretation of the personal factors, pastors'' responses to stressors should be interpreted based on the understanding that they are spiritual beings and therefore, the solution to relief of their stress should be found in the spiritual dimension just beyond mental and physical terms.
• Third, pastors'' spiritual, mental and physical responses to the stressors were found correlated with one another. From a Biblical perspective, physical and mental diseases are branched out from a spiritual disease. Namely, sin and diseases cannot be separated from each other. Corrupted human beings would suffer from a psychological conflict due to their physical desire of committing the sin, and such a conflict would cause a stress. In contrast, a comfortable soul would have less psychological and physical stress, or would be relieved of the stress. This study confirmed that such a spiritual stress affects mental and physical responses to stressors.
• Fourth, it is necessary to use a holistic stress coping style or resource. Uses of the spiritual substance as physical coping resource would be limited because it is one of the stressors. And even if human beings could develop any number of stress coping resources, it would be absolutely impossible to develop a spiritual one. Therefore, any stress coping resource should be able to used for both spiritual and material worlds. It is a truth. So, it is important to manage the defense wall of our soul solidly and flexibly in order to cope with the stress.
• Fifth, the individual pastors suffering from a stressful event or situation are requested to understand and appraise its stressors and thereby, gain an insight or a spiritual discernment into their spiritual boundaries for an effective coping and therewith, review the effective and appropriate resources and measures to cope with them.
• Sixth, the passive coping style or an wishful prayer may well be classified into a positive problem-focused coping style from a Biblical perspective. The wishful thinking is sort of resurrective wish which may be categorized into passive or active coping style.
• Seventh, from a Biblical perspective, there are abundant stress coping resources. One of the coping resources from a Biblical perspective is the church confronting the evil forces, and there are other many active coping styles available for men. When such coping resources are interacting with each other to facilitate each other, their synergy effects would be maximized. And compared with ordinary people, pastors can use far more coping styles and resources encompassing spiritual and material worlds, while enjoying far more favorable conditions and being far freer from the fundamental stressors.
• 2) Stresses of each area suffered by pastors and their coping styles
• First, in pastors'' domains, pastors were found to suffer most from the stressors coming from within themselves and their wives, while in church domains, pastors suffered most from the stressors related to the demands for qualitative growth of church. In the domain of home, pastors were stressed most for the financial problems.
• Second, in terms of pastors'' stress coping style, passive coping styles (emotional relief style or wishful style) were used more than active ones (problem-focused coping or pursuit of a social support). And they used the problem-focused style or prayer (preceding studies classify it into a passive coping style) much as active coping style.
• 3) Relationship between pastors'' demographic variables and their stress
• In terms of pastors'' personal variables, the more children (namely 2) and the lower academic background a pastor had and the more dissatisfied he was with his income, he suffered more from the stress. In terms of the church variables, there was found no significant difference of stress level depending on pastors'' demographic variables, and in terms of family variables, the lower academic background and monthly income a pastor had, he felt more stressful. And in term of pastors'' couple variables, pastors'' stress was closely correlated with their income, and their satisfaction with their income affected their stress due to children''s education.
• 4) Correlation between pastors'' stress and their coping styles
• First, when pastors felt more stressful in their couples'' personal domain, church and home financial domains, they tended more to cope with their stress passively. And when their level of stress was higher in spiritual, religious management and family system domains, they tended more to cope with their stress actively.
• Second, the stresses affecting their passive emotional relief style significantly were related with sense of mission, church and home finances. When the stress level in these domains was higher, pastors tended more to use the passive emotional relief style. Although most of the pastors used the problem-focused stress coping style or ''prayer'' (specified as wishful thought by preceding studies), the stress level in all three domains did not differ significantly depending on pastors'' demographic variables.
• Third, the stresses affecting the active problem-focused coping style were related to spiritual, religious management and family system domains. When the stress level in these domains was higher, pastors tended more to use the problem-focused coping style. And when the stress level was higher in sense of mission, religious management and family system domains, pastors tended more to pursue a social support.
• The above findings suggest some insights into pastors'' stressors and their coping styles. Lastly, it is hoped that this study will be followed up by future studies which will analyze more practical and effective stress coping cases and develop more reasonable stress coping measures for pastors.