The problem of forming the image of god by children in foreign psychology of religion

The image of God is a descriptive set of images and some behavioral and cognitive characteristics that determine the attitude of an individual to the transcendent reality. This personal and social phenomenon is one of the central problems of foreign psychology of religion, but it is practically not investigated in domestic science. The article examines the key West-European and Anglo-American works on the image of God in children's perception. The sources (parents, I) of formation; external (social environment, confession) and internal (self-respect, self-control) factors of development; specific features of the formation of the concept of God are identified in these studies. Despite the recognition that there is a crisis in the psychology of religion these works have not only preserved their relevance, but also have opened further prospects of research on religious socialization and religious education.