SPIRITUAL IDENTITY IN ISRAELI RELIGIOUS MALE ADOLESCENTS: OBSERVATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

Shraga Fisherman
Orot Israel College

Based on Herbert’s (1987) theory of ego identity development and
on interviews of hundreds of Israeli religious male adolescents and
young adults who were raised and educated in religious society and
later left the fold, this article presents a model of development of
religious identity. Three levels of religious identity development—
healthy, unhealthy, and dangerous—are described. In healthy development,
adolescents abandon childish faith, confront and
deliberate about their doubts, and consolidate a mature and personal
spiritual identity. Unhealthy development, which may occur if
doubts are not accepted and dealt with, is seen in four forms:
sloganeering, diffuse spiritual identity, moratorium, and emphasis
on ritual and behavioral aspects of religion. These, in turn, may lead
to dangerous developments: (1) joining a cult or enslaving oneself
to a charismatic leader; (2) joining a group of formerly religious peers;
(3) group delinquency (theft or vandalism) or group use of alcohol
or drugs; (4) alienation and antireligious attitudes; (5) inconsistency
or “being religious at heart”; (6) solitary use of alcohol or drugs,
possibly leading to addiction. Methods of preventing and correcting
unhealthy and dangerous developments are presented and discussed.
Consolidation of