Theoretical examination of the formation of the concept of the God

Abstract

The concept of God is a multi-layered phenomenon concerning how a person perceives God and how they relate to God. This phenomenon is associated with the individual's developmental processes and internal representations. Representations of God can manifest differently in each person's mind. The society, family, and past experiences in which a person is raised influence the shaping of the concept of God. How a person imagines God, how they internalize God, and how they relate to God is based on subjective experiences. In this context, studies in the literature have attempted to provide explanations of how concepts of God are formed and have sought to understand the relationship between concepts of God and personality structure. Internal representations, images, and thoughts related to God have been investigated within the framework of subjective experiences and addressed in a theoretical context. In this article, ideas regarding the formation of the concept of God will be examined within the frameworks of psychoanalysis, attachment theory, and object relations theory, which have been previously associated with the concept of God in earlier studies; these theoretical examinations will be presented from a holistic perspective. The aim of the study is to offer a more layered, in-depth, and comprehensive perspective on the formation of God representations by integrating three theoretical perspectives. This study aims to provide a theoretical framework and seeks to lay the groundwork for future empirical studies. It proposes an interdisciplinary and psychodynamic-based perspective for future studies that will examine how the representation of God is structured in different social and religious contexts.

Keywords

• Concept of God
• God image
• God representation

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