Faith Development in the Context of Islamic Religiosity

This article refers to James Fowlerʼs theory of faith development and presents the results of an intercultural study (Aygün, Religiöse Sozialisation und Entwicklung bei islamischen Jugendlichen in Deutschland und in der Türkei, Münster, Waxmann, 2013). Religious development models, as introduced by Fowler (Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, Harper & Row, New York, 1981) and Oser & Gmünder (Der Mensch. Stufen seiner religiösen Entwicklung, Benziger, Zürich, 1984), position autonomy, cosmopolitanism, and universal humanity as central developmental objectives. While these models have been empirically confirmed for cultures with a Christian background, there is a lack in the discourse of Islamic religious pedagogy of comparable models that could provide a solid foundation for the religious education of Muslim students. This paper draws on a study published in 2013 in both Turkey and Germany to shed light on the religious socialization and development of young Muslims. The insights gained are discussed in relation to the following core questions: What factors in religious socialization promote or hinder a belief system characterized by the aforementioned objectives? What specific faith concepts and life perceptions characterize this development in the context of Islam? Are there significant differences in the religious attitudes of young people between Germany and Turkey? Furthermore, the importance and necessity of the findings from a developmental psychological perspective of Islamic faith for Islamic religious pedagogy and Islamic instruction in schools are discussed.