Wiedmaier, M. (2008). Wenn sich Mädchen und Jungen Gott und die Welt ausmalen. Feinanalysen filmisch dokumentierter Malprozesse. Wahrnehmende Theologie. Studien zur Erfahrung und religiösen Lebenswelt, Bd. 3, Münster: Lit Verlag.
Streib, H. (2000). Gottesbilder fallen nicht vom Himmel.Kindliche Malprozesse als Gestaltung von Religion [pdf]
Streib, H. (1999). Kanalisierung des Heiligen oder Ermöglichung religiöser Subjektivität? - Kinderbilder als Gestaltung medial vermittelter Religion [pdf]
Projects of empirical research which use children’s drawings to analyze the religious representations of children are not only rare, but unsatisfactory in their research design because they are based on drawings as final products only. The final products only scarcely yield inferences in the drawing process. Therefore it can be maintained that previous research did pay little attention to the child’s subjectivity and creativity. Also, in most research projects in the literature, a somewhat narrow developmental perspective is dominant, focusing on the contrast between the anthropomorphic vs. symbolic character of the God representation.
his is what motivated us to explore new ways which rest on the perspective on children as subjects of their own religious world and their religious development. Key questions therefore are: Which insights into the child’s subjective creative competencies in dealing with and expressing religious representations can be gained from an analysis of the process of drawing or painting religious contents.
In a third wave, Patricia Meise will investigate, in her dissertation research, the religious drawings of children and adolescents using a longitudinal design. See children's drawings III.