Mapping the Landscape of Religious Coping: Review and Bibliometric Analysis of Theocentric and Non-Theocentric Practices

This study presents an integrated review of religious coping, comparing theocentric and non-theocentric mechanisms, and examining research trends. Combining a narrative review with a VOSviewer-based bibliometric analysis of 2403 Scopus-indexed articles (1982-2025), the study examines the conceptual differences and functional roles of coping strategies in various religious traditions. The study's results highlight three main differences between theocentric and non-theocentric traditions. These encompass theological and existential meaning-making, surrendering to God and self-control, as well as spiritual renewal and personal transformation. Theocentric coping is typically based on a divine relationship and prayer, whereas non-theocentric approaches emphasize inner balance, rituals, and ethical self-improvement. It has been found that most research focuses on Western, monotheistic contexts, primarily Christianity and Islam, while non-theocentric systems such as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism remain underrepresented. The peripheral use of terms such as mindfulness, meditation, and holistic care suggests that although these topics exist, they are still insufficiently studied in the field of research on religious coping. This study contributes to the theoretical enrichment of the thematic field of religious coping and promotes the development of empirical research aimed at in-depth examination of non-theocentric coping practices in crises, as well as the revision of conventional models for coping assessment, which do not sufficiently reflect the existing spiritual and philosophical diversity of non-theocentric traditions.