The Role of Doubt in Religious Identity Development and Psychological Maturity

Abstract

The need to develop a strong religious identity has concerned clergy and educators for many years. However, how religious identity development occurs has seldom been analyzed or used to guide educators' efforts to promote identity development in their students. This discussion delves into the framework of identity development as described by Marcia in 1966 and illustrates parallel processes for the development of religious identity. The characteristics of each stage that Marcia proposed are described and the construct of doubt is analyzed as an essential factor for successful identity achievement. Educational interventions are proposed for creating school environments that promote, rather than inhibit, religious identity development.