Question:
Is there anyone on the Piaget list who is interested in the genetic-epistemological approach to religious thought/ history of religious ideas?  I am working in this area in particular with respect to preconceptual and concrete operational structures.

Answer1:

You could try this seminal paper
Piaget, J. (1923). La psychologie des valeurs religieuses. In Association Chr¨¦tienne d'Etudiants de la Suisse Romande (ed), Sainte-Croix 1922, 38-82.

I comment on a key distinction in
Smith, L. (2002). Piaget ¯s model. In  U. Goswami (ed) Blackwell handbook of childhood cognitive development. Oxford: Blackwell.

Question:

I am interested in this line of research.  I have done some preliminary work on religious schema from a cognitive perspective in young adults, in 2001.  I would be interested in hearing about your ideas and opportunities, particularly if you are working with children.  What projects are you working on?

Answer1:

Nicholas Commons-Miller,  James Day and Michael Lamport Commons have 3 studies in progress.
1.  NeoPiagetian stages of the development of religious behavior. 
2.  The same but for Atheism.
3.  The understanding of Jesus' sayings (with James Day).

Answer2:

Nicholas Commons-Miller, Priya Suresh, and Michael Lamport Commons have two studies of the development of atheism and of religious behavior.  The age range is from 12 on up.  Each version is approximately 100 questioning  interview.  It is available.

James Day and Michael Lamport Commons have a study of how people  understand Jesus' sayings.
Maria Lins might be involved.  We are still designing.  It can be used with people down to the age at which they can answer preference for stages on a
1 - 6 scale.

Answer3:

I can't help you with Piaget and religion but there is a relatively new book out on psychology of religion by a man at U of Va. whose name I am blocking on but believe it starts with M or Mc.
I loaned it to a neighbor who never returns books but I have read enough of it to recommend it as a book that tries to provide a solid theoretical basis and it does so via attachment theory (Bowlby).  It covers a great deal of literature in a systematic fashion.  Although this is not an area I have much interest in I was impressed with the intellectual rigor of the book and suspect that you would enjoy it if you don't already know it. 

Answer4:

You should start with: Fowler, James W. (1981). Stages of Faith and Coles, Robert,  The Spiritual Life of Children.

I'm doing interdisciplinary theoretical research and a longitudinal case study with my own child (she is 3.8 year old now) on the "development of the "sense of transcendence ("sentido de trscendencia" in Spanish) as a form of consciousness and human competence". This construct will include also non religious experiences that are part of certain forms of moral and political or social consciousness.