Close social relationships and happiness in the United States: the moderating role of love by God
In the contemporary United States, many individuals suffer from a lack of close relationships, negatively affecting their happiness. At the same time, many individuals do not feel a loving relationship with God/Spirit (i.e., religious love). In the 1950s, theorist Pitirim Sorokin posited that love,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1567701/full |
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| author | Stephanie Moller |
| author_facet | Stephanie Moller |
| author_sort | Stephanie Moller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the contemporary United States, many individuals suffer from a lack of close relationships, negatively affecting their happiness. At the same time, many individuals do not feel a loving relationship with God/Spirit (i.e., religious love). In the 1950s, theorist Pitirim Sorokin posited that love, particularly religious love, acts as a transformative energy capable of fostering resilience in the modern rational world, and scholars hypothesized a link between religious love and happiness. However, the topic remains understudied. This study analyzes United States data from the Global Flourishing Study and presents results from linear regression with robust standard errors. The findings indicate that a central component of religious love, love by God, mitigates the adverse effects of lacking close relationships. This study calls on researchers to further investigate the significant yet understudied role of religious love in individuals’ lives. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1731285084d84ea68af3bf82cd11fd79 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-1731285084d84ea68af3bf82cd11fd792025-08-20T02:58:56ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-05-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15677011567701Close social relationships and happiness in the United States: the moderating role of love by GodStephanie MollerIn the contemporary United States, many individuals suffer from a lack of close relationships, negatively affecting their happiness. At the same time, many individuals do not feel a loving relationship with God/Spirit (i.e., religious love). In the 1950s, theorist Pitirim Sorokin posited that love, particularly religious love, acts as a transformative energy capable of fostering resilience in the modern rational world, and scholars hypothesized a link between religious love and happiness. However, the topic remains understudied. This study analyzes United States data from the Global Flourishing Study and presents results from linear regression with robust standard errors. The findings indicate that a central component of religious love, love by God, mitigates the adverse effects of lacking close relationships. This study calls on researchers to further investigate the significant yet understudied role of religious love in individuals’ lives.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1567701/fulllovehappinessclose relationshipGodhappiness and wellbeing |
| spellingShingle | Stephanie Moller Close social relationships and happiness in the United States: the moderating role of love by God Frontiers in Public Health love happiness close relationship God happiness and wellbeing |
| title | Close social relationships and happiness in the United States: the moderating role of love by God |
| title_full | Close social relationships and happiness in the United States: the moderating role of love by God |
| title_fullStr | Close social relationships and happiness in the United States: the moderating role of love by God |
| title_full_unstemmed | Close social relationships and happiness in the United States: the moderating role of love by God |
| title_short | Close social relationships and happiness in the United States: the moderating role of love by God |
| title_sort | close social relationships and happiness in the united states the moderating role of love by god |
| topic | love happiness close relationship God happiness and wellbeing |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1567701/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stephaniemoller closesocialrelationshipsandhappinessintheunitedstatesthemoderatingroleoflovebygod |