Religion and Applied Developmental Science

Pamela Ebstyne King & Elizabeth M. Dowling

Religion is an important element of the human condition. A Gallup International Association (1999) poll of 50,000 adults in 60 countries reported that 87% of respondents consider themselves part of a religion. As such, seeking an understanding of how religion affects human development is a significant concern for the social sciences. Applied developmental science (ADS) has brought renewed attention to the significance of religion in the process of human development. Four major themes of ADS are that (1) there is a fused relationship between an individual and the different environments he or she grows up in; (2) there is the potential for positive change and development; (3) development is a life span process; and (4) there is diversity both within an individual's own developmental trajectory and between the developmental trajectories of different individuals. Recognizing the importance of the environments and contexts in which people live and grow as being potentially ...

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