Doctrine-Shaped Trait Forgiveness and Relationship Satisfaction in People who Identify as Christians

Despite increasing attention to the study of forgiveness, little consideration has been imparted to the act of forgiving as a religiously shaped path towards relationship satisfaction. This study examines (1) whether a person’s doctrine-shaped trait forgiveness (DTF) is positively associated with relationship satisfaction; and (2) whether two dimensions of offense-specific forgiveness — benevolence and resentment–avoidance — mediate this association. Using structural equation modeling, we analyzed cross-sectional data of an adult German sample (N = 980), all of whom stated their affiliation to a Christian church. The analysis of the non-mediator model indicated a positive direct path between DTF and relationship satisfaction (β = 0.123). Computing the mediation effects, we found a significant, positive total effect of DTF on relationship satisfaction (β = 0.129). Our findings suggest indirect paths between DTF and relationship satisfaction through resentment–avoidance (β = 0.074) and benevolence (β = 0.021). Neither gender nor denomination effects emerged within the invariance analyses. The results supported the assumption that individuals with a higher level of DTF also experience greater satisfaction in their intimate relationships, by engaging in less resentful and avoidant as well as more benevolent behavior.