The Psychological Analysis of the Changes in the Development of Human Religiousness

Abstract

The development of religiousness is consequent on the changes towards a higher quality of the ties between man and God. There are changes specific for the development of religiousness. They embrace the following mental processes, e.g. transcending; developmental achievements, e.g. the appropriate concept of God, various internal transformations and others. The development under discussion stresses a holistic approach to religiousness in its existential, situational, and ecological aspect. Operationally speaking, the highest stage in the development of religiousness, as defined by means of the empirical research on the masters of internal life, and such is the criterion of tracing the direction of changes. The determinants of that direction being such psychological factors of religiousness as: 1) freedom, 2) consciousness, 3) love, 4) happiness and others, as well as content factors: 1) imitation of Jesus Christ, 2) unification with God, 3) internal participation with the Church in existential problems, 4) living in the presence of God, and others. The direction of the religious development may also be identified and supported by “following the master.” The master may also be a Saint, who is a pattern of life for a person. The effects of changes, that is achievements in the development of religiousness, most often bear the character of gradual and cumulative gains. They are continual, and at the same time in each period of life are completed with a kind of fulfillment, combined with a desire to keep on perfecting the religious life.