An education that imprisons or that liberates?

This article addresses the question of the religious education of the child from the perspective of child psychiatry and Orthodox theology. Through an interdisciplinary reflection, the author examines the conditions under which the transmission of faith can either constrain the child's development or foster their flourishing as a free person. The central idea is that any authentically Christian education must respect the inner freedom of the child, avoiding forms of indoctrination or conditioning that hinder their personal growth. The contribution of the article lies in the articulation between data from child psychiatry and the Orthodox conception of the human person, thus offering concrete reference points for thinking about a religious pedagogy that guides the child toward a chosen and integrated faith, rather than an imposed one.