IntroductionIn the psychological research literature on religious development, the notion of 'religious thinking' or 'religious understanding' and its development remains an ambiguous and uncertain one.' Research in this area has been largely dominated, since the late 1950s until very recently, by the genetic and cognitive perspective of Kagetian psychology. 2 The dominant model of religious thinking or understanding underlying this research literature is one which emphasizes both the continuity beween religious thinking and other forms of thought, and the dependence of religious thinking on the acquisition of primary cognitive skills. According to Goldman's well-known definition, which has been subsequently borrowed by a number of other studies and represents the accepted norm in the wider literature, religious thinking is no more or less than 'the activity of thinking directed towards religion', 'no different in mode and method from nonreligious thinking'. 3 In accordance with this assumption, the dominant model of religious understanding has been developed in terms of existing psychological accounts of thinking processes and, in particular, by reference to the Piagetian account of cognitive development and logical thinking. Thus the ideal or normative form of religious understanding is conceived to be the fully developed, flexible, abstract logical mind capable of logical deduction, rational explanation, and abstract expression of religious ideas. Religious understanding is measured in terms of approximation to this ideal, and by reference to tasks and situations which demand the discrimination and explanation of symbolic ideas and acts -such as the interpretation of problematic and mythological religious narratives and the explanation of religious ritual and practice.The limitations of such a model have been discussed frequently, especially in relation to Goldman's research. 4 Whilst the Piagetian paradigm remains influential in research studies of religious thinking, increasingly there are signs of dissatisfaction with such a paradigm. 5 Some attempt has been made by researchers to develop alternative approaches to the empirical study of religious thinking development. In particular, a number of studies have utilized a linguistic developmental perspective to examine the development of religious word-meaning. 6 Other researchers, notably James Fowler 7 in the United States, and Fritz Oser* in Germany, have attempted to widen the Piagetian focus on cognitive development by incorporating the genetically-based model of religious thinking within a wider, more holistic model of religious or 'faith' development. Whilst this, more unidimensional approach to religious development is proving fruitful, there is still a place, and indeed a need, for the more narrowly-focused type of research enquiry which can isolate and examine in detail specific aspects of religious development. Religious thinking or understanding is arguably one such aspect requiring specific examination. However, research in this field is hampered b...
