The relationship between religiosity and the use of violence is an important yet still underexplored area of psychological research. Previous studies indicate that a religious system of meanings can support individuals in coping with harm and foster forgiveness, understood as a transformation of emotions toward the perpetrator. In this context, forgiveness may serve as a mechanism linking religiosity to nonviolent attitudes. The aim of this study was to examine whether religiosity—conceived as a system of central cognitive and motivational references that organize the interpretation of reality and guide behavior—is associated with pacifism through the transformation of emotions related to forgiveness. The study included 429 students aged 18 to 32 (M = 20.53; SD = 2.25), of whom 86.5% were women. Dimensions of pacifism were identified through factor analysis, and their relationships with religiosity and the tendency to forgive were then analyzed. The results indicate that religiosity is associated with forgiveness, and forgiveness is associated with a higher level of pacifism. This suggests a mediating role of emotional transformation toward the perpetrator in the relationship between religiosity and nonviolence. At the same time, the direction and strength of the mediating effects vary by pacifism dimension, underscoring its multidimensional nature. The results indicate that religiosity may foster nonviolent attitudes through an emotional transformation that reduces retaliatory tendencies and fosters forgiveness.
Religiosity and Nonviolence: The Role of Forgiveness as a Mediating Mechanism