Relgious Faith and Development

Fowlers Stages of Faith James Fowlers Stages of Faith are an interesting perspective on the development of an individual's spirituality. Fowler's theory consists of structural stages and its gives a significant connection between psychological development and the development of faith of the individual (Kakkassery, 2003). It is fairly obvious that an individual's faith matures relative to their own development and experiences during their lives. Fowler believes that there are distinct stages that can be modeled to better understand this development.

The stages begin in childhood and ends in stages that not everyone is able to reach. These stages could be applied to Christianity as well as virtually any other form of spirituality. The first stage begins in early development and when youth first form a concept of God or spirituality. It is often the case that individuals adopt the worldview of their parents although they do not fully understand it at the time.

However, young children can often acquire the most basic ideas about God and the nature of the universe. They can begin to understand things like what happens after you die and vague concepts of heaven. Yet, at the same time, children at this age are often incredibly self-centered. They often act in selfish ways and are constantly considering only themselves without much, or any, empathy for others. This is a stage of development that all children must go through.

Understanding how a child develops through these stages can have practical applications; such as in nursing for example (Neuman, 2011). As the child continues to develop, there worldview can become broader and they begin to understand more about life and faith. They begin to understand that others have feelings too and can function with a significantly expanded level of empathy. The stories they are told about their faith are often taken completely literally and people at this stage do not question the stories they have been told.

This stage last roughly into the adolescent years however it is also interesting to note that some people stay in this stage for their entire lives. During the adolescent years, individuals in the next stage are still in their belief system and remain their without challenging it. However, during this stage their understanding of their faith can grow tremendously. They often rely on their faith for stability in the process of facing all the challenges that come with going through the teenage years and learning how to become an adult.

Their faith and the institutions that support their faith can often play a central role during this period. In my opinion, the next three stages are the most interesting. The next stage deals with the introduction to skepticism in one's faith. The individual may realize that there are several different faiths that exist and begin to question whether or not their faith is legitimate. Some people may abandon their faiths entirely in this stage.

Others can actually go back to the previous stage in which they accept the teachings of their institutions wholeheartedly. Still others can progress to an even more advanced stage. Not everyone reaches the conjunctive or universalizing faith stages. These are incredibly advanced in nature and Fowler believes that few people can reach them.