Religiosity, self-identity, and idol worship

This chapter reviews how religiosity and self-identity are related to idol worship. Religiosity has been defined in terms of three distinctive religious orientations: (1) intrinsic orientation, involving full commitment to religious beliefs, (2) extrinsic orientation, involving the use of religion for social gain, and (3) quest, concerning the open-ended search for answers to existential, paradoxical, and uncertain questions. Identity indicates how individuals define themselves according to their internal beliefs. In late adolescence, individuals develop their perceptions of their judgment and efficacy skills. This chapter argues that, theoretically, identity formation is a process of personal exploration leading to a coherent set of attitudes, values, and beliefs. This chapter introduces Marcia's (1993) conceptualized identity development based on whether individuals have considered diverse options and have become committed to a vocation, religion, sexual orientation, and political stance. It describes that identity as having four status conditions: identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement.