Meaning in Religious Contexts: Examining Beliefs in Free Will and Determinism (or Divine Sovereignty and/or Providence) as Christian Meaning Frameworks With Religious Commitment as Moderator in a Moderated Mediation Model

This study examined the associations among beliefs in free will and determinism (or divine sovereignty and/or providence), meaning in life (MIL), and meaning judgment, as well as whether religious commitment moderates these associations. Guided by the Tripartite Meaning in Life Model, we tested a moderated mediation model using a Christian sample ( N  = 239). Results revealed that at low levels of religious commitment, stronger deterministic beliefs were associated with lower MIL, which in turn predicted lower meaning judgment. This indirect effect shifted in valence and had a smaller effect size at higher levels of religious commitment, where deterministic beliefs showed a slight positive association with MIL and meaning judgment. These findings highlight that religious commitment shapes how deterministic beliefs connect to both MIL and meaning judgment, with lower religious commitment amplifying negative associations and higher religious commitment attenuating or reversing them.