Religious doubts and questions in adolescence: A qualitative research on high school students

Adolescence has a special importance in terms of religious doubt. Because during this period, religious consciousness awakens and the individual enters the process of forming identity. The aim of this research is to determine and examine which subjects are covered by religious doubt and inquiries experienced during adolescence questioning during adolescence and on which subject. In this study, which preferred qualitative research model was used phenomenological approach from qualitative research methods. Depending on this approach, criterion, snowball, convenience and maximum variation sampling methods were used from purposive sampling methods. The samples of the study consisted of religious culture and ethics teachers and İmam-Hatip high school vocational course teachers, and students that studying in the 10th and 11th grades of different types of high schools. The data obtained from the unstructured interviews with the working groups and the semi-structured interview form, were interpreted with descriptive analysis. The findings of the current study indicated that religious doubts among adolescent mostly focused on the issues concerning belief such as believing in God, His books, messengers, and hereafter etc. It was also understood that worship, religious rules, the style of the Qur'an and some religious terms, the issue of women in religion, social relations in religion, traditions, ıkhlas (sincerity) effort, religious sects, the relationship between religion and science were also a source of religious doubt.