Piaget's Indictment of children's and youth ministry programs

According to Estep and Kim (2010), “It seems apparent the Christian education community maintains that social science theories provide a valuable lens through which to conceptualize an approach toward Christian formation” (p. 52).  What exactly is a theory?  What is a developmental theory, and how are these theories helpful to Christian ministry?

What Makes a Theory?

In its broadest and ideal sense, a theory is “a set of interconnected statements – definitions, axioms, postulates, hypothetical constructs, intervening variables, laws, hypotheses, and so on…The function of the set of interconnected statements is to describe unobservable structures, mechanisms, or processes and to relate them to each other and to observable events” (Miller 2002, p. 3).  A scientific theory attempts to explain unobservable events/changes by connecting them to other observable events. How does this relate to developmental theory?

According to Seifert and Hoffnung (2000), “human development refers to long-term changes that occurr during a person’s lifetime and the patterns of these changes” (p. 35).  Developmental theories, then, are attempts to predict, identify, and map out these long-term changes.  Miller (2002) asserts “What is critical about a developmental theory is that it focuses on change over time” (p. 5).  Developmental theory attempts to interpret the changes that take place during the human maturation process.  These theories usually have stages, to which an individual belongs, based on where they are in the process.  These stages are often broken up based on the age of individuals.  

 

Piaget

According to Epstein (2010) Jean Piaget was, “arguably, one of the two or three most eminent and influential scientists in the history of psychology” (p. 163).  Piaget’s Cognitive theory claimed “that children’s thinking develops in a series of increasingly complex stages, or periods, each of which incorporates and revises those that precede it” (Seifert and Hoffnung, 2000, p. 51).  Piaget identified four stages: sensorimotor – coordination of sensory and motor activity (0- 2 years), preoperational – language and symbolic representation (2-7 years), concrete operational – solution of concrete problems (7-11 years), and formal operation – systematic solution of problems (7-11 years) (Seifert and Hoffnung, 2000, p. 53).  Essentially Piaget’s Cognitive Theory helps us understand how individuals of all ages think, and what kind of information they are able to process.  

Ministry Implications

A basic understanding of developmental theory has positive implications for ministry, particularly when ministering to children and youth.  Keeley (2010) posits, “As we think about faith formation, it is helpful to think about what impact development might have on the way people interact with our ministry.  So what does Piaget’s Cognitive Theory have to offer those in Christian ministry?  Wilhoit and Detonni (1995) note, “human beings are integrated wholes” (p. 35).  The faith development of an individual is dependent upon that person’s developmental stages.  A person’s physical, emotional, and cognitive stages all have bearing on his or her spiritual formation. 

Wilhoit and Detonni (1995) point out, “Teachers cannot teach something that is developmentally above learners, no matter how much the teachers attempt to ‘get them to learn it.’  No amount of teaching of five-year-olds will produce children capable of abstract theological thought” (p. 35).   Piaget’s cognitive stages show how many churches are missing the developmental mark with their Christian Education. 

The preoperational stage, for example, shows us that children as young as two year of age are capable of learning and articulating well known stories from the bible.  Most churches do not start the process of formal Christian Education until age four.  Additionally this stage claims that children are not ready to apply biblical content prescriptively in their lives until age seven, yet most published preschool and early elementary curriculum attempt to do just that  – present the sacred text prescriptively.  It seems, instead, that that children’s ministry curriculum for this age group should instead focus on learning and articulating the biblical stories.  Prescriptive application should not be a focus until children are seven years old and older (concrete operational stage).

Piaget also claims that adult abstract thinking (formal operational stage) begins when an individual is as young as eleven.  This suggests that we are selling adolescents in the church short.  It appears that middle school and high school students are capable of learning and wrestling with theological issues and doctrinal claims.  It also appears that students this age are ready to personally assimilate these complex and abstract teachings in their lives.  In contrast, much of today’s youth curriculum seek to spoon-feed adolescents pre-packaged, bite sized “Christian prescriptions.”  Indicting research abounds concerning the church’s failure to communicate the Christian message to children and youth in a way that leads to life-long transformation.  I quick look at Piaget’s theory shows that failing to understand the cognitive understanding of young people is at least part of the problem.

Conclusion

What is a developmental theory, and how are these theories helpful to Christian ministry? Developmental theories attempt to interpret the changes that take place during the human maturation process.  An example is Piaget’s cognitive theory which explores how an individual’s thinking develops over time.  Piaget’s theory illuminates how to effectively communicate the gospel to individuals of all ages, as well as highlighting the developmental errors the church is currently making.  

References

Epstein, R. (2010). Teen 2.0: Saving our children and families form the torment of adolescence. Fresno, CA: QuillDriver Books.   

Estep, J. R., & Kim, J. H. (Eds.) (2010). Christian formation: Integrating theology and human development. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.

Keeley, R. J. (Ed.)(2010). Shaped by God: Twelve essentials for nurturing faith in children, youth, and adults. Grand Rapids, MI: Faith Alive.

Miller, P. H. (2002) Theories of developmental psychology (4th ed.). New York, NY: Worth.

Seifert, K. L., & Hoffnung, R. J. (2000). Child and adolescent development (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.  

Wilhoit, J. C., & Dettoni, J. M. (Eds.) (1995). Nurture that is Christian: Developmental perspectives on Christian education. Grand Rapids, MI: BridgePoint Books.