Francesca Danioni presented a pilot study aimed at identifying similarities and differences in the meaning and psychological experience of divine forgiveness across Christianity, Judaism, and Islam . The study investigated aspects such as what constitutes sin, whether divine forgiveness is conditional or unconditional, and believers' personal experiences of being forgiven by God. The research included a focus group with theologians from the three religions and an online questionnaire completed by approximately 200 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim participants. Using combining qualitative (thematic and content analysis) and quantitative (descriptive statistics) methods, the study offered a detailed understanding of how divine forgiveness is perceived within these religious communities. 

The main findings are:

1. Divine Forgiveness shows both similarities and notable differences across monotheistic religions, with distinctions emerging more clearly in practical aspects (spiritual figures, practices, and rituals) than in theoretical foundations.

2. Mercy is a key aspect of divine forgiveness for both theologians and believers, with love also being important. However, repentance is uniquely emphasized by believers as central to divine forgiveness.

3. Repentance is seen as essential to receive divine forgiveness across all three religions, though perceptions vary. Christians tend to view divine forgiveness as mostly unconditional, Muslims emphasize a commitment to avoid repeating the wrongdoing, and Jews highlight the need for personal improvement.

For preregistration information, see https://osf.io/8tkh2/

Giorgia Francesca Paleari and Camillo Regalia will present a study focused on developing and validating a new scale for divine forgiveness across Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. After a thorough literature review, expert consultations, and interviews with lay believers, a questionnaire was designed to measure individuals' inclination to experience divine forgiveness and the conditions that may promote it. The questionnaire will be administered to approximately 1,000 adult believers in Italy, Israel, and Turkey, each predominantly practicing one of these religions. Analysis will examine content validity, factor structure, measurement invariance, and internal consistency of the divine forgiveness scale across these religious groups. Findings are expected to advance the assessment of divine forgiveness within the psychology of religion.