[The image of God in old age]

The image of God in old age was explored in a group of 32 probands over 65 years (18 women, 14 men; mean age 71.4) and a control group of youths between 20 and 29 years (15 women, 16 men; mean age 20.6) using different questionnaires -- the God concept, personal relationship to God and emotional inclinations and feelings towards God as well as 3 scales for the determination of mental health status. The findings show a tight relationship between the concepts (images) of an emotional, protecting God and feelings of being sheltered and being near to God. Also there was a highly positive correlation between self reflection, life affirmation and stable emotionality and the concepts of a guiding, shelter giving God, whose nearness can be directly experienced. The image of God of the older probands showed special characteristics like "a God who guides", "an empathetic God", and "a God, whose nearness can be experienced", but also "a strict and punishing God" and "a God who created everything". An interesting gender difference in the image of God was found dominantly in the old aged: while the old men stressed a strict law and order God, the old women emphasized the aspects of emotionality, care, and nearness. The results of this study show the necessity of emphasizing an age- and gender-specific pastoral health care, so that the religious dimension could be a constructive coping strategy for successful aging.