Intricacies of the calling: Spirituality of Polish nuns

SynopsisIn an era of globalisation and increased consumption, questions arise as to the nature and quality of the spiritual sphere of life and its role in well-being. Our research compared the spirituality and well-being of laywomen and nuns, taking into consideration the distinctness of their life path, and tested the hypothesis that women's spirituality, understood as a dimension of personality, can be a predictor of well-being. The study, which involved 211 Catholics, mapped the spirituality of laypersons and clergy by taking into account their religious attitudes, ethical sensitivity, and harmony. Women and men exhibited comparable spirituality levels, but significant differences emerged between lay and clerical women in terms of both spirituality and well-being. Nuns registered higher levels of spirituality and well-being, and prevalent positive emotions. Different patterns of satisfaction's predictors appeared in the two groups.

► We compare two samples, clergy and laypersons, in terms of the spirituality.
► Nuns exhibit higher levels of spirituality, different in content than laywomen.
► Nuns show a higher level of life satisfaction than laywomen.
► In nuns the predictor of satisfaction is Neuroticism, in secular women – Harmony.
► In both groups the predictor of positive emotions is Extraversion.