Religious Conversion: Regression and Progression in an Adolescent Experience

The sudden and dramatic religious conversion experience of a male divinity student is presented and explored in terms of its role in adolescent development. Particular emphasis is placed on his perception of family relationships, and especially on how the conversion experience serves to alter a perc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Allison, Joel (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [1969]
In: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Year: 1969, Volume: 8, Issue: 1, Pages: 23-38
Further subjects:B Parent child relations
B Desire
B Sons
B Parents
B Human Aggression
B Fathers
B Religious Conversion
B Adolescents
B Divinity
B Mothers
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Description
Summary:The sudden and dramatic religious conversion experience of a male divinity student is presented and explored in terms of its role in adolescent development. Particular emphasis is placed on his perception of family relationships, and especially on how the conversion experience serves to alter a perception of the actual father as weak, ineffective, or absent by supplying instead an internal representation of a strong and principled substitute paternal figure with clear values and firm judgments. This representation of a positive and powerful paternal figure is seen as crucial in aiding the adolescent process of individuation and differentiation by countering strong longings to retain or reestablish a sense of undifferentiated union with the maternal figure.
ISSN:1468-5906
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/1385251