宗教应对是近二十年来西方宗教心理学的重要研究方向之一。当人们遭遇疾病、丧失、战争等严重威胁个体生命健康和生活质量的压力事件时，往往转向更高的力量以帮助自己应对，宗教也常常成为他们的应对资源。在中国，关于宗教应对的理论和实证研究仍处于起步阶段。在国内宗教信众逐年增多、癌症等重大疾病威胁越来越多民众的时代背景下，探索宗教如何影响个体应对疾病，具有重要的现实意义。本研究以基督徒为例，探索重大疾病患者的宗教应对过程，揭示个案可能采用的宗教应对策略和持有的宗教应对资源，及应对过程中宗教应对方式、宗教信仰等方面可能存在的变化。采用质性研究方法，原因在于：宗教是一种复杂的现象，宗教应对领域目前仍缺乏坚实的理论，质性研究可以深入研究对象的经验世界，进行细致、动态的描述和分析，寻求解释和理解。本研究遵循建构主义的理论范式，主要采用半结构式访谈，与10名身患癌症等重病的基督徒共同建构他们的宗教应对过程。数据分析和理论建构以扎根理论为指导，对10名研究对象产生的互动文字进行三级登录，产生一级编码53个，二级编码16个，其中主要类属为：宗教应对过程中的情绪/心境和态度，宗教认知应对，宗教应对行为，宗教应对资源，宗教应对结果；三级编码得出具有统领作用的核心类属“重大疾病患者宗教应对的动态过程”。效度检验采用研究者检核、研究对象检核、资料之间的相互验证、共同编码、反馈法等。成文采用类属作为基本结构，在部分类属下穿插一些小型个案及情境分析。从应对结果来看，本研究对象普遍在应对过程中取得了生理、心理、灵性上正向的变化。从总体应对方式看，他们基本采用积极宗教应对的方式，他们并非没有经历灵性挣扎，但在这个过程中依然选择向上帝和其他信徒寻求灵性上的支持，通过积极的宗教归因，恢复对良善、公义上帝的信心，对压力事件进行积极的再定义，看到苦难的意义所在。本研究在原始资料分析的基础上，结合已有文献中的相关理论和个人分析，得出“重大疾病患者宗教应对过程”的中层理论：患者面临疾病这一危机，启动“宗教应对资源”进行认知和行为上的应对，“宗教信念”是认知应对的基础和核心，个体在此基础上进行积极宗教归因和对患病意义的认知重构；个体的应对行为也为自己获得更多的宗教应对资源；同时，宗教应对带来的正向结果，也进一步成为个体的“宗教应对资源”。研究结果对前人理论做出了一定的解释和补充。

Religious coping has been one of the major research areas in the psychology of religion in the last 20 years. Research showed that people are more likely to turn to religion for help when confronted with illness, loss, war or other life-threatening events. In China, research on religious coping is just beginning. As cancer and other severe illnesses pose danger to an increasing population, how people with religious recourses cope turns out to be a practical research topic.This research took Christians faced with severe illnesses as subjects, and by exploring their religious coping process, aims to reveal their religious coping strategies and resources and the possible changes of their religious coping strategies or belief system in the coping process. The reasons for adopting a qualitative analysis approach include: religion itself is a complex phenomenon with no concrete theories yet; the qualitative approach can fully investigate the interviewees' inner world and by detailed, dynamic description come up with in-depth interpretation and understanding.This research followed the research paradigm of constructivism. Semi-structural interviews were conducted with 10 Christians faced with severe illnesses such as advanced cancer. Using grounded theory, data were analyzed through open coding, axial coding and selective coding. Respectively 53 primary codes, 16 categories and one core category were generated. The 5 major categories include affective responses and attitude during religious coping, religious cognitive coping strategies, religious coping behavior, religious coping resources, and religious coping results. The core category is the dynamic religious coping process of Christians faced with severe illnesses.Validation was ensured by researcher check, participant check, double-check among research materials, collaborative coding, multi-channel feedback, etc.Representative quotes were selected to represent the domain in a data display technique centered on typology and supplemented by vignettes.The subjects of this research have all achieved positive results either physically, mentally or spiritually. They basically adopt a positive religious coping method, albeit some spiritual struggle initially. They chose to seek spiritual support from God and congregation. And through positive religious attribution, they restored faith on a benign, just God, reframed the stressful event and4assigned significance to suffering.Based on the qualitative analysis of the original data, the research combines existing literature and personal interpretation and comes up with a middle range theory of the dynamic religious coping process of Chinese Christians faced with severe illnesses. When faced with existential crisis such as severe illness, Christians cope both in religious cognition and behavior, based on their religious coping resources. Religious belief is the core of religious cognitive coping, as it serves as the basis for religious attribution and restructuring the significance of suffering. Religious behavioral coping also introduces more coping resource. The positive coping results produced also in turn deposits more into the coping bank of resource. The findings have made further illustration of and supplement to exiting theories.