Influencing Contextual Factors in the Religious Identity Development of Strict Reformed-Raised Emerging Adults in The Netherlands

Abstract

Religious identity development is highly influenced by contexts. This influence is even more powerful for young people who grew up in strict religious contexts because of the prominence of orthodox beliefs and practices in everyday life. This article presents which contextual factors were influential on the religious identity development of 18 emerging adults who grew up in strict Reformed contexts in the Netherlands. Moreover, it presents characteristics that led the participants to consider the influence as positive or negative. In the study, the perspective of the emerging adults was central, and through in-depth life story interviews, contextual influence was explored.

Keywords:

• emerging adults
• religious identity development
• influence
• contextual factors
• strict reformed upbringing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 This “movement within Dutch Calvinism took place in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries under the influence of Scottish, English and, to a lesser degree, German Puritans and strove to keep personal behaviour and experiences within the norms of religious doctrine” (van Belzen 2008, 125).

2 In strict Reformed churches, the profession of faith is conditional to partaking in the Lord’s Supper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anne-Marije de Bruin-Wassinkmaat

Anne-Marije de Bruin-Wassinkmaat, MSc, is a PhD-student at the Protestant Theological University Amsterdam. Her research focuses on the religious identity development of emerging adults who grew up in strict Reformed contexts in the Netherlands. Anne-Marije works as an educational advisor for Driestar Christian University and she is involved with pedagogical and didactical training for secondary school teachers. Besides, she is involved with the identity of Christian schools, both on organization level and classroom level. Email: [email protected]

Jos de Kock

Jos de Kock is professor of Practical Theology at the Evangelische Theologische Faculteit in Leuven, Belgium, where he also serves as the rector of the faculty. Currently, he is a board member of the International Academy of Practical Theology, and a board member of the Religious Education Association. His specializations are in the areas of empirical practical theology, research methodology, higher education, religious education, youth ministry, religious identity development, catechesis, and youth and theology.

Elsbeth Visser-Vogel

Elsbeth Visser-Vogel is a lecturer at the Christelijke Hogeschool Ede (Christian University of Applied Sciences). Her specializations are in de areas of religious identity development, adolescents, youth and (religious) education. Besides, she is as a supervisor involved with several research projects.

Cok Bakker

Cok Bakker is professor of Religious Education at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies of the Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht University and professor in the area of the Moral development of professionals at the HU Utrecht University of Applied Sciences. For max of one day a week he is involved in consultancy work (mainly dealing with religious diversity issues).

Marcel Barnard

Marcel Barnard is professor of Practical Theology at the Protestant Theological University (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and Professor Extraordinary of Practical Theology at the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa). He is research leader of Practical Theology at the Protestant Theological University.