Religious Faith Across the Life Span

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Abstract
The thesis of this article is that psychologists can benefit in assessment and counseling of clients and in research by understanding the religious development of many of their religious clients throughout the life span. Theories of religious development are reviewed in the initial section of the article. Generally, the early life of the religious person is well described by using a variety of stage theories; however, at adolescence and beyond, prediction is enhanced by using life-event or transition theory perspectives. In the second section, research is reviewed on a variety of issues involving religion over the life span. In the final section, the implications of theory and research on religious involvement in therapy are investigated, and number of important questions for assessment, treatment, and research are identified