A Nonreligious and Nonspiritual View of God on Child’s Development

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of God from a nonreligious and nonspiritual perspective, emphasizing its psychological and developmental relevance in childhood. It examines how children internalize the idea of God through cultural imitation, social contexts, and cognitive development stages, particularly in relation to moral understanding, character formation, existential awareness, and coping mechanisms. Drawing from developmental theories, including those of Jean Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bandura, the discussion highlights how God functions as a symbolic figure aiding in moral reasoning, character formation, existential coping, and emotional resilience. Ultimately, the notion of God – regardless of metaphysical belief – serves as a valuable construct in guiding a child’s holistic growth.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{nandakumar2026nonreligious,
  title = {{A Nonreligious and Nonspiritual View of God on Child’s Development}},
  author = {Dhandapani Nandakumar and Satya Raj},
  journal = {Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.4103/ijsp.ijsp_147_25},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.4103/ijsp.ijsp_147_25},
  note = {CC BY-NC-SA},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - A Nonreligious and Nonspiritual View of God on Child’s Development
AU  - Dhandapani Nandakumar
AU  - Satya Raj
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/01
JO  - Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry
DO  - 10.4103/ijsp.ijsp_147_25
UR  - https://doi.org/10.4103/ijsp.ijsp_147_25
AB  - This paper explores the concept of God from a nonreligious and nonspiritual perspective, emphasizing its psychological and developmental relevance in childhood. It examines how children internalize the idea of God through cultural imitation, social contexts, and cognitive development stages, particularly in relation to moral understanding, character formation, existential awareness, and coping mechanisms. Drawing from developmental theories, including those of Jean Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bandura, the discussion highlights how God functions as a symbolic figure aiding in moral reasoning, character formation, existential coping, and emotional resilience. Ultimately, the notion of God – regardless of metaphysical belief – serves as a valuable construct in guiding a child’s holistic growth.
SN  - 0971-9962
SN  - 2454-8316
ER  -

Abstract

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