Development of religious thinking

Over the last fifty years, in three distinct waves of research, psychologists have investigated the religious thinking of children and adolescents. However, they have differed substantially in their conceptual frameworks, methods, and conclusions, making it difficult for educators to determine the overall implications of their findings for educational practice. In this article, the author reviews this research, identifies points of agreement and contention, derives tentative conclusions about the nature of religious thinking and its development, and discusses their educational implications.