ABSTRACT
What is identity and how is it distinct from or informed by beliefs? One of the main challenges in responding to this question is that scholars continuously try to codify and theorize constructs that are complex, well beyond our capacity to capture and understand all of their nuances. Additional questions arise as soon as one chooses a particular definition of one and/or the other construct. Is identity stable, or is it malleable and constantly influenced by context and competing narratives? Are beliefs different from emotions and/or cognitive propositions? Are identities and beliefs related, and, if yes, how? In the last few decades, volumes have been written, spanning multiple disciplines, exploring these questions.
