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    James Fowler's Faith Development

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    The document summarizes James Fowler's theory of faith development, which views faith as how people relate to life's meaning and purpose. It outlines the 6 stages of faith development from childhood to adulthood, with stage 3 focusing on adolescents and their non-intellectual acceptance of values within relationships.

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    James Fowler's Faith Development

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    edu32330173
    28 views15 pages
    The document summarizes James Fowler's theory of faith development, which views faith as how people relate to life's meaning and purpose. It outlines the 6 stages of faith development from childhood to adulthood, with stage 3 focusing on adolescents and their non-intellectual acceptance of values within relationships.

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    The document summarizes James Fowler's theory of faith development, which views faith as how people relate to life's meaning and purpose. It outlines the 6 stages of faith development from childhood to adulthood, with stage 3 focusing on adolescents and their non-intellectual acceptance of values within relationships.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    28 views15 pages

    James Fowler's Faith Development

    Uploaded by

    edu32330173
    The document summarizes James Fowler's theory of faith development, which views faith as how people relate to life's meaning and purpose. It outlines the 6 stages of faith development from childhood to adulthood, with stage 3 focusing on adolescents and their non-intellectual acceptance of values within relationships.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    JAMES FOWLER'S THEORY OF FAITH

    DEVELOPMENT WITH EMPHASIS ON


    ADOLESCENTS.

    BY SHIVANI UPADHYAY,
    SECTION-B
    JAMES W. FOWLER (1940-2015) WAS AN
    INFLUENTIAL AMERICAN THEOLOGIAN AND
    SCHOLAR KNOWN FOR DEVELOPING THE "STAGES
    OF FAITH" THEORY.

    HE SERVED AS A PASTOR, FOUNDED THE CENTER


    FOR RESEARCH ON FAITH AND MORAL
    DEVELOPMENT AT EMORY UNIVERSITY,

    AND AUTHORED THE BOOK "STAGES OF FAITH: THE


    PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND THE
    QUEST FOR MEANING."

    HIS WORK CONTINUES TO IMPACT THEOLOGICAL


    AND PSYCHOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING GLOBALLY.
    James Fowler viewed faith as a complex and
    multifaceted concept that goes beyond mere
    religious beliefs.
    In his work,
    he defined faith as a person's way of relating
    to the ultimate meaning and purpose of life,
    which can encompass religious beliefs,
    values, ethical principles, and a sense of
    belonging to a broader community or
    worldview.
    STAGES OF FAITH
    1 2 3

    Stage 1: Stage 2: Stage 3:


    Intuitive- Mythic- Synthetic-
    Projective Literal Faith Conventional
    Faith (School Age) Faith
    (Preschool (Adolescence
    Years) to Early
    Adulthood)
    STAGES OF FAITH
    4 5 6

    Stage 4: Stage 5: Stage 6 –


    Individuative- Conjunctive Universalizing
    Reflective Faith (Midlife Faith
    Faith and Beyond)
    (Adulthood)
    (Preschool
    Years)
    STAGE 1 – INTUITIVE-PROJECTIVE FAITH

    • Magical, illogical, imaginative


    • Fantasies, especially about the
    power of God
    • Typical of children ages 3 to 7
    STAGE 2 – MYTHICAL-LITERAL FAITH
    • Individual takes stories of religion
    literally
    • Believes simplistically in power of
    symbols
    • Involves reciprocity – God sees to it that those who
    follow his
    laws are rewarded and those who do not are
    punished
    • Typical of middle childhood and adulthood
    Stage 3 – Synthetic-Conventional
    Faith
    • Nonintellectual acceptance of religious values in context of
    interpersonal relationships .

    • Coordinates an individual’s involvements in a complex social


    world .

    • Provides a sense of identity and adds significance to life .

    • “Conformist” stage of faith – concerned about other people


    and “what feels right” more than what makes intellectual
    sense.
    Stage 4 – Individual-
    Reflective Faith
    • Intellectual detachment from values of culture and from
    approval of significant other people
    • Could perhaps be best characterized as “having your faith
    tested”
    • Often involves an unexpected experience in adulthood
    (e.g.,
    divorce, loss of job, death of a child)
    • Active commitment to life goal and lifestyle that differs
    from
    that of many other people
    Stage 5 – Conjunctive Faith

    • Incorporates both powerful unconscious


    ideas (e.g. power of
    prayer) and rational, conscious values (e.g.,
    the worth of life compared with that of
    property)

    • Characterized by a willingness to accept


    contradictions
    Stage 6 – Universalizing
    Faith

    • Put own personal welfare aside and be


    willing to sacrifice
    own life in order to enunciate universal
    values
    • Very few people ever reach this stage
    (BHUDHA as
    an example)
    Conclusion
    :
    -Adolescent Faith Development
    - Fowler's stages offer insights into how
    adolescents form beliefs.
    - Challenges like questioning beliefs
    foster growth.
    - Educators play a vital role in guiding and
    supporting adolescents.
    - Dialogue and reflection are key for
    deeper understanding.
    - Faith development is a lifelong journey,
    with adolescence as a crucial phase.
    References
    https://www.scd.org/youth-and-young-adult-
    ministry/module-2-adolescence-and-faith-
    development-perspective

    https://youtu.be/Nz3tuAMcaeM?
    si=Q_PQIrEWwi1sV7M6

    https://youtu.be/dwmT69b0m6Y?
    si=HOox07_j8vVbzh8g
    thank you!

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