Religious Theory, Developmental Systems View

The focus of a developmental systems theory of religious development describes and explains the changing nature of one's perceived relationship with the divine across the life span as defined by the unique, dynamic interaction of characteristics of the individual and characteristics of the individual's context across time. All developmental systems theories describe and explain development as a relational process involving the integration of variables from multiple levels of the human ecology (i.e., from biology through cultural and historical levels). Recognition in developmental systems theory of multiple contexts and their interactive relationship with variables of the self necessitates much more than a singular conception of religious development, both in terms of quantitatively measured growth (e.g., growth [Page 381]in amount of knowledge about religious tradition) and in terms of qualitative growth (e.g., change in the subjective experience of the sacred). In addition, domains of knowledge, such as religious knowledge, can show growth at different times throughout the life span.

In this developmental systems perspective, the notion of temporality indicates that there are multiple meanings of time affecting religious development, and all are embedded within historical changes. For instance, normative age-related and normative historical (i.e., period in history) changes may impact individual and contextual variables in their structure and function, and nonnormative historical events (e.g., wars, economic depressions) may also impact religious development across the life span. In turn, there can be distinctions among individual, family (generational), and historical time. To understand religious development across the life span, it is necessary to consider how all components of temporality interact.

In assessing religious development, it is therefore important to consider the age of the person in question to determine, for example, his or her probable cognitive level (impacting the ability to think abstractly about purposefulness and connectedness) and if and how the individual is influenced by the historical time in which he or she is embedded. In terms of nonnormative events, as an example, September 11th challenged Americans’ individual and collective identities and will likely influence (in both positive and negative ways) the religious identities of many, particularly those most highly affected. As a result of the interconnectedness of all other variables, no human variable is protected from the influence of time.

Given that developmental system theories acknowledge the temporal (historical) embeddedness of all levels of the ecology of human development, it therefore also recognizes change as a ubiquitous component of religious development. As such, these theories see the potential for plasticity (i.e., systematic change) in religious development, and this potential affords an optimistic view wherein planned actions (interventions) can be undertaken to promote positive developmental change.