7.

Fowlers Stages
of Faith
Development
SREEKALA.R

James Fowler
Famous for creating a theory of
Faith Development.

Stage One: Intuitive/Projective

Faith
ages 2 7
Trust placed in what a child
sees and hears from parents or
guardians.
A child absorbs all the taboos
and beliefs from the family
around them
mirrors them back.

 First awareness of self egocentric; hard to see

other perspectives
Birth of Imagination, unrestrained by logical
thought
Highly imitative stage where children can be
powerfully and
permanently influenced by examples, moods, actions
and stories of
the visible faith of primally related adults (parents,
etc.)
Programs that use wonder & imagination (like
Godly Play or
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) are very
successful with this age

Stage Two: Mythic/Literal Faith

or the Literalist
Ages 8 Adolescence (6-12),
but could last a lifetime
NARRATIVE STAGE
Stories with great meaning.

But all taken

LITERALLY
See Adam and Eve as an
historical story.
Simple explanations
give comfort!

Transition to this stage happens as

the child becomes more capable
of concrete operational thinking
Can use logic to justify
thoughts, but not yet able to think
abstractly
Fascination with private worlds
of fantasy and wonder (ie Narnia,
Harry Potter, etc.) although in the
perception of this stage, symbols
are one-dimensional and must refer
to something specific
Story, drama & myth help give
coherence to experience telling
their story helps discover sense
of self and place in the community
World based on reciprocal
fairness and immanent justice

Stage Three: Synthetic/Conventional

Faith
Adolescence (12+)

Most people never get

beyond this stage!

Trust is shifted from stories

to being part of a group
Approval is important.
Start to see contradictions
but questions are silenced
and conformity wins.
God is seen as an extension
of interpersonal
relationships.. Parent, friend,
girlfriend/boyfriend.

 Transition often comes when children notice

contradictions in stories
(ie Genesis creation vs. evolution) leading to
questions/reflection
Experience of the world extends beyond family
Many things compete for attention: family,
peers, school, media, etc.
Faith must help them synthesize values and
conventions to
provide a coherent orientation in the midst of
competing ideals
Faith as a vehicle for creating a sense of
identity and values
Many adults get stuck here

Stage Four: Individuative/Reflective

Faith-

the
Searcher ( Late teen to early adult)

Early as age 17, but usually 30s or 40s

Begin to develop own spiritual beliefs
(no longer rely on others)
Authority shifts from an external
source to authority within oneself.
Working out ones own path.
Nothing is certain but my own existence.
One can become disillusioned. (not a
comfortable place to be)

 Transition often comes with leaving home

emotionally, physically
or both causing us to examine self, background &
values
Understand and accept a higher level of
commitment to ideals and
responsibilities Intrinsic responsibility (not
enforced by others)
High degree of self consciousness
Sense of self develops outside of specific roles
Conceptual meanings transcend Symbols
demythologizing stage
Capacity for critical reflection on identity

Nihilism
An extreme form of skepticism that
denies all existence.

A doctrine holding that all values are baseless and

that nothing can be known or communicated.

 Transition often comes with leaving home

emotionally, physically
or both causing us to examine self, background &
values
Understand and accept a higher level of
commitment to ideals and
responsibilities Intrinsic responsibility (not
enforced by others)
High degree of self consciousness
Sense of self develops outside of specific roles
Conceptual meanings transcend Symbols
demythologizing stage
Capacity for critical reflection on identity

Stage Five: Conjunctive Faiththe Seer

People usually enter Stage Five around age 35

or 40 (but could happen earlier, later, or NEVER)
We realize absolute answers cannot be found
and starts to trust the mystery.
Accept new views have higher level of
relationships.
Begins the total surrender to the Divine

 Truth is discovered from a variety of

viewpoints
Second naivet symbols regain their
power; can appreciate myth,
story, ritual (own and others) because they
have grasped, in some
measure, the depth of reality to which
they refer
Reclaiming & Reworking ones past
Commitment to justice; oriented
towards others

Stage Six: Universalizing Faith

Enlightenment

Few people reach!

Called Universalizing faith because one
becomes an activist for the universe.
Person begins to live in the Kingdom of
God
We are no longer the center of the
universe
Have radical commitment to social
justice

 This stage is rarely achieved

Person becomes totally altruistic
incarnation of the principles of
love and justice (like Ghandi, Jesus,
Mother Teresa, etc.)
Feel an integral part of an allinclusive sense of being.
Often more honored or revered
after their death

Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King,

& Mother Theresa

Characteristics of Stage 6

1. Deny self for total unity with God

2. No longer concerned about the normal
ego needs of survival and security,
3. often involves nonviolent suffering
4. Everything matters, yet without
attachment.
5. Life is both loved fully and held loosely.