Dimensions of Grace: Factor Analysis of Three Grace Scales

Measuring grace is challenging. Prior research found the Grace Scale (GS), Richmont Grace Scale (RGS), and The Amazing Grace Scale (TAGS) to be reliable, have promising convergent and divergent validity, and to intercorrelate strongly. However, they may tap different constructs, or grace may be multidimensional (Bufford, Blackburn, Sisemore, & Bassett, 2015). Here 2 exploratory factor analyses showed 5 factors: experiencing God's grace, costly grace, grace to self, grace from others, and grace to others. Items from all 3 scales loaded on Factor 1, items from the RGS on Factor 2. The remaining factors were mostly GS items. Preliminary validity for the 5 factors is promising. Regressions showed that combinations of the other 4 proposed scales accounted for at most about on third of the variance on any given grace factor. The 5 factors showed different patterns of relationships to criterion variables. We propose a 36-item Dimensions of Grace Scale.