Transforming Religious Adolescence Toward Moderation: Strengthening Moral Values as an Effort to Prevent Radicalism

Abstract

This study explores the transformation from religious puberty to religious moderation in the context of individual religious development, particularly during adolescence. Religious puberty is defined as a critical phase in which individuals begin to intensely explore their religious identity, often accompanied by an extreme zeal for religion. However, this phase also presents a vulnerability to radicalism and rigid interpretations of religion. This research is a literature review employing qualitative, descriptive-analytical methods, using Lawrence Kohlberg’s moral development theory to analyze the stages of moral transformation that influence an individual’s perspective on religion, focusing on the transition from conventional to post-conventional morality. The results show that adolescents in the phase of religious puberty tend to follow religious teachings literally without critical reflection, making them susceptible to extreme ideologies. With proper guidance from family, educators, and religious communities, they can be directed toward a more inclusive and contextual religious moderation. Religious education that emphasizes critical reflection and tolerance plays a vital role in this process. This study contributes to the development of effective religious education strategies to prevent radicalism and foster a more balanced understanding of religion in multicultural societies. The limitations of this research lie in the lack of empirical data across different age and cultural groups, indicating the need for further studies to deepen the understanding of this transformation dynamic in a broader context.