The imagination of allah among the imam-hatip secondary school students

The psychology of religion is the science that examines the spiritual aspect of human life and its effects on human behavior by considering the causes and consequences of behavior. The concept of God has an important place on the basis of the causes of religion in human life and the notion of God is of great importance in terms of the psychology of religion. In the Concrete Operations Period, one of Piaget's Cognitive Development Periods, the child makes the imagination more through the existing things because he/she cannot reach the sufficient maturity of his / her mind. What kind of differences there are between the children in the period of concrete operations and the children in the period of abstract operations, how a child who is in the period of concrete operations envisions an abstract concept like Allah, whether the external factors other than the necessary cognitive maturity are also effective or not are always wondered. In our study, the subjects such as how the children, in the period of concrete operations,envisions im Allah and whether there are effects of education or social environment on this imagination have been examined. 48 studens, who are in the 10-11 and 13-14 age groups and study at Danişment Gazi İmam Hatip Secondary School, Suheybi Rumi İmam Hatip Secondary School, Türkiyem İmam Hatip Secondary School and Yıldırım Bayezit İmam Hatip Secondary Schoolin Çorum, form the sample of our research. Semi-structured interview method has been used for data collection purposes. The findings of our research were evaluated by using descriptive analysis method. To sum up generally; for 10-11 age group students, although they conceive Allah with some adjectives with abstract traits while envisioning Him, it has been observed that the cognitive characteristics of the period of concrete operations are effective. As it is understood from the statements they used, it is seen that the religious education they have taken and the ready and memorized information they have acquired from their social surroundings exist under their abstract imagination. It is observed that the children in this period demonstrate the general characteristics of the Concrete Operations Period, one of Piaget's Cognitive Development Periods. For the students who are in the age group of 13-14, it is possible to say that the imaginations of God in human form are becoming weaker, but the children in this age group cannot be said to enter the abstract period but they are mentally in a transition period. this is the basis why children envision Allah most of the time as abstrarct and sometimes as concrete. After the age of 14, it can alleged that the child will be able to reach the level of mental maturity and will fully gain the ability to envisage the creator with abstract features. Keywords: Cognitive Development, God, İmagination