Religious Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Religious Identity - Essay Example Religious identity thus refers to â€Å"a people’s ways of relating to their religion, including their association with a certain religious community, the strength of their belief in the preferred religion, and their ways of demonstrating those beliefs in their day to day lives.† It can be equated to membership to a religious grouping or community, this being regardless of the person’s religious activity or participation. It may be referred to as a specific type of Identity formation focusing mainly on group membership and the importance of the membership as pertaining to self-conception of the individual. Similar to either cultural or ethnic identities, the religious context provides generally a perception from which to view the world, a set of principles of guiding one’s lifestyle and the myriad of opportunities available of socialization with different people, generational differences regarded. As a whole, religious identity is affected by factors such as a person’s gender, generational status and ethnicity.... Religion is intricately intertwined with various aspects in the socio-cultural arena, that the above three factors are always present in the shaping of an individual’s religious identity. Ethnic differences; according to the Social Identity Theory, emerge when individuals of ethnic minority groups feel threatened in terms of identity, thus reasons for their emphasis on their social identities as a means of maintaining positive self-conception. Gender differences may impact on one’s religious identity; this being exemplified through the characteristic participation of the female gender in religious activities and in their expression of religion as being an important aspect of their lives, this being in relation to their male counterparts (Bryan Chosley Shepherd; The University of Texas at Austin. Sociology 32). Generational differences, categorized as either being first, second and third, where the first and second-generation individuals may have higher levels of religio us identity as compared to their third generation counterparts. Immigrants, in efforts of readjustments to the often-stressful changes associated with immigration, highly seek an environment provided by a place of worship that encompasses a community of emotional, financial and social support. Focus is placed on the stages of Adolescence and early Adulthood since adolescence is a developmental period that is crucial to an individual’s identity development. At this stage, there are various opportunities for the exploration of the ethnic, cultural and religious traditions present in the individual’s society, but within constraints erected by their parents or guardians. Influences can be both internal and external; depending on extent/exposure of socialization