Psychological Aspects of the Role of Religion in Identity Construction

Religious plurality can generate fears through identity destabilization. Religions offer ressources for coping with fears. On one side, production of stereotypes follows a defensive way. On the other side, claim to be universal help to cross boundaries and to cope with stigmatization, misrecognition and discrimination. Coping strategies combine at least five aspects: community, intimate relationship, rules, construction of identity, and worlview. This article shows how these aspects are intertwine

Humanness and Non-Humanness in Children's Drawings of God: A Case Study from French-Speaking Switzerland

Past research on children’s concepts of God has suggested a develop- mental tendency moving from anthropomorphic to non-anthropomorphic represen- tations. Besides replication, we tested a model of de-anthropomorphization. Methods. We collected drawings of God (N = 532) from 5- to 17-year-old children in French-speaking Switzerland and constructed a model of anthropomorphism and de-anthropomorphization. Age, gender, and religiosity (i.e., schooling) were uti- lized as predictor variables in logistic regression analyses. Results. Consistent with past research, both age and religious schooling facilitated the occurrence of non- anthropomorphic God representations. Analyses on de-anthropomorphization revealed that age had a positive effect on most strategies (with one exception), and that schooling did not play a significant role in that regard, neither did gender. Discussion. The current findings move beyond binary oppositions concerning anthropomorphic God figures, which appear to be conceptually much more com- plex than previously anticipated. Theoretical as well as practical implications are discussed

Rôles variés des récits dans la construction narrative de l’identité religieuse

L’identité individuelle ou de groupe est narrative. Seul le récit peut établir une continuité au-delà des discontinuités biographiques résultant de transformations de soi éprouvées subjectivement ou observées par les autres, telles des changements de statut social, d’apparence, etc. Le récit de soi joue donc un rôle central dans la construction identitaire. Pour ce faire, il peut s’appuyer sur divers types de récits à disposition dans l’environnement culturel. À la présentation de cette typologie s’ajoute une analyse des divers rôles joués par ces récits. Les traditions religieuses constituent des réservoirs privilégiés de récits véhiculant des repères identitaires et des modèles auxquels s’identifier

Religious and Spiritual Aspects in the Construction of Identity Modelized as a Constellation

This paper makes a case for an integrative approach to the field of psychology of religion and spirituality. Rather than relying upon or choosing one approach or theory to the detriment of all others, one can identify the construction of psychological identity, modelized as a constellation, as one of several possible « points of connection » serving as work site for the convergence, synthesis and exchange among the vast and rich variety of concepts, measures, theories and methods extant in the field. This work of integration can stimulate, and enrich our perceptions of the multiple dimensions, levels and valences of religion and spirituality