Religious development

Childhood- According to the French Psychologist Jean Piaget, children and adolescents go through 3 stages of religious development. From one study, in which children were asked about what they thought of of religious pictures and Bible stories, Piaget's theories were supported by the childrens responses.

1) Preoperational intuitive religious thought- This thought process can occur in children up to 7 to 8 years of age, it is marked by unsystematic and fragmented thoughts on children. Children do not understand or comprehend the stories and the evidence of religions.

2) Concrete operational thought- Occurs between 7 to 8 to 13 or 14 years of age, children now focus on particular detials of pictures and stories.

3) Formal operational thought- From 14 through the rest of adolescents, abstract religious thoughts start to occur in adolescents.

Parenting- Parents can have a profound effect on religious development in children and adolescents, as they tend to adopt the religion that is practiced during their upbringing. The relationship between parents and their children however can change this. If there is a positive relationship between the parents and child, the child will be more likely to adopt their religious beliefs. In the case where there is a negative relationship between the parents and child, the child will be more likely to disaffiliate themselves with their parents religious ideas.