Teaching of Religion in Childhood; Critical Analysis of a Psychological Approach

For most of the psychologists who are working on the process of children's understanding of religious concepts it is a belief that teaching of religion to children should be delayed until they can acquire abstract thought. Through the present study, while it was critically assessed, this approach was presented. Referring to documents, the data required for the study was gathered and analyzed in both analytical-descriptive and critical-descriptive method. Results have showed that this approach faced with five basic challenges; first, the theoretical framework, in which religious education was studied and the research instrument for assessing religiosity were not reliable ones. Second, the uniqueness and complexity of religious development was ignored. Third, a vague interpretation of religious concepts was suggested. Forth, it was not conformed to the approach derived from sayings and the fifth, not only the delay in religious education has not been possible, but also it remains inadequate educational effects.