Spirituality, religion, and healthy development

Over the course of development, children and adolescents become increasing agentic in the development of religious and spiritual beliefs, identities, and engagement. To understand how this development intersects with other dimensions of healthy development, this chapter encourages researchers and practitioners to take a person-centered approach to understanding how religiousness and spirituality operate in the lives of youth, rather than focusing on how the adults around them wished these factors would operate. The chapter introduces the reader to useful frameworks for conceptualizing the dynamic ways in which religiousness and spirituality are part of the lives of children and adolescents, and summarizes research detailing the diversity of religious and spiritual development. The chapter additionally highlights myriad ways in which religiousness and spirituality intersect with other aspects of healthy development, and concludes with suggestions for future research and translational implications.