Stages of Faith Development

1. Stages of Faith Development A Study of Children and Adolescents By Karen Jones

2. James Fowler • EDUCATION • Duke University • Drew Theological Seminary • 1971 Ph.D. Harvard University, • Religion & Society with focus in ethics and sociology of religion • Center of Moral Development at Harvard School of Education (post graduate studies) • TEACHING CAREER • 1969 – 1975 Harvard Divinity School • 1975 – 1976 Boston College • 1977 – 1993 Emory’s Candler School of Theology 1994 – 2005 Director of the Center of Ethics at Emory “Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning (38th Printing) Minister – United Methodist Church Married, 2 daughters, 4 grandchildren

3. Aspects of FAITH Fundamental “none of us lives very well without it.” Universal “recognizably the same phenomenon in Christians, Marxists, Hindus & Dinka.” Infinitely varied “each persons faith is unique;” “inexhaustibly mysterious.” (Fowler, xiii)

4. FOWLER’SBuilding blocks of FAITH: Distinct from FAITH, but possible expressions of FAITH: religion & belief W. C. Smith, Comparative Religionist, Linguist

5. W. C. Smith states: Faith is deeper, richer, more personal. It is engendered by a religious tradition, in some cases and to some degree by its doctrines; but it is a QUALITY OF THE PERSON not of the system.”

6. FAITH as relational Shared center of value and power Meaning – Worth - Sustains Meaning – Worth - Sustains Rest my heart upon Rest my heart upon self others Love – mutual trust - loyalty FAITH is triadic or covenantal in shape.

7. IMAGINATION – FAITHUltimate environment – environment of environments “In its imaginal mode, faith ‘forms into one’ a comprehensive image of an ultimate environment, an environment of environments, in relation to which we make sense of the force field of our lives.” Fowler, p 28

8. Other influences • Structural Development Theories & Faith Piaget and Kohlberg – the push to examine the structuring activity of faith • Psychosocial Development Erikson – focus on the functional aspect of faith

9. Structural-Development Theories and Faith • Contributions of Piaget – Kohlberg school • Epistemological focus • Focus on structure of knowing forming content of knowledge (although not as distinct in faith development); invariant sequence • Interactional process (innovative subject/changing environment) • Normative direction & implications

10. Structural-Development Theories and Faith • Limitations of Piaget – Kohlberg school • Separated cognition or knowing from emotion (rational maturity makes matters of emotion as subjective bias, immaterial) • Very restricted role of imagination in knowing, unconscious structuring processes

11. James W. Fowler’s FAITH DEVELOPMENT It is with this imaging that Fowler’s research and observations identified what he calls “reasonably predictable developmental turning points in the WAYS faith imagines and in the WAYS faith’s images interplay with the communal modes of expression.”

12. James W. Fowler’s Stages of Faith Development

13. Research Questions Does faith development in elementary school & high school students reflect the formal descriptions of Fowler’s faith stages associated with childhood (Stage 2) and adolescence (Stage 3), respectively? When a faith education community that utilizes an explicit, structured program of reflection – a hallmark of Stage 4 Individuative-Reflective Faith – are high school students likely to exceed Fowler’s Stage 3?

14. Hypothesis I predict 5th grade students will reflect Fowler’s 2nd Stage of Faith Development and the High School Seniors (18 yrs. old) will reflect at least the 3rd Stage. I predict a small percentage of High School Seniors will be 4th Stage or transitioning to 4th Stage in the faith education community that utilizes an explicit, structured program of reflection.

15. Settings – Catholic Schools St. Monica School 4140 Walnut Hill Rd., Dallas, TX Jesuit College Prep 12345 Inwood Dr., Dallas TX 25 – 5th Grade students 10 – 11 years old 23 – 12th Grade students 18 years old

16. Methodology 1 Leak, Loucks and Bowlin, 1999, p.124 2 Schwartz, 2006, p. 317 • 10-question survey

17. PART I - CONSTRUCTION 1. Religious Beliefs It is very important for me to… accept the religious beliefs and values of my church critically examine my religious beliefs and values.

18. PART I - CONSTRUCTION 2. Other Religions I don’t find value in being exposed to other religions. It doesn’t bother me to be exposed to other religions.

19. PART I - CONSTRUCTION 3. Catholic Church Teachings I believe totally the teachings of my church. I find myself disagreeing with my church over some aspects of faith.

20. PART I - CONSTRUCTION 4. Religious Insights I believe that my church… teaches a complete understanding of what God wants for us & how we should worship him. has much to offer, but that other religions can also provide some religious understanding.

21. PART II - COMMITMENT 5. I believe God works everyday in my life giving it a purpose & meaning.

22. PART II - COMMITMENT 6. My Faith shapes the way I think and act everyday. (Schwartz 2006, p.317)

23. PART II - COMMITMENT 7. I take time for periods of prayer and meditation. (Schwartz 2006, p.317)

24. PART III - AUTHORITY 8. If you had a question about God, the Bible, or your faith, what would you do?

25. PART IV - IMAGES 9. Which statement describes heaven BEST for you?

26. PART IV - IMAGES 10. How would you describe God? I think that God is like a blacksmith who is constantly working on creating yet another mammal, bird, reptile, fish, or amphibian. (5th) I think God is a very nice man who cares for his people. I think He also loves everything he makes. (encluding Dinosaurs)  (5th) Stage 2 Form & content from authority, literal, narrative, anthromorphic

27. PART IV - IMAGES 10. How would you describe God? Stage 3 Unexamined (tacit) images, religious model, mystery & awe, knowing & loving, as a companion. God is loving and fair. He is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is eternal and good. (5th) All knowing deity, who loves and respects all. (12th) Alpha & Omega, The Man (2 students, 12th)

28. PART IV - IMAGES 10. How would you describe God? Stage 4 Process model – God affects the world and the world affects God. Demythologized to create sense of meaning. Social. God is all powerful, acts in our lives when we need it, whether or not we pray to him for help. (12th) He created the universe in the beginning & has been looking over it as it transformed through time. #7 (12th))

29. Scoring Surveys

30. Results Hypothesis Do 5th graders reflect Stage 2? The majority, yes – but not exclusively. Do HS Seniors reflect Stage 3? Yes, but not exclusively, with a wide distribution.

31. Limitations Survey – too broad, no follow-up questions. Survey questions needed to be more narrow and simpler for 5th grade students. 18 year olds were all male. Advantage / Disadvantage – Catholic school students only

32. Works Cited Fowler, J. W. (1981). Stages of Faith: The psychology of human development and the quest for meaning. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row. Haunz, R. A. (1978). Development of some models of God and suggested relationships to James Fowler's stages of faith development. Religious Education, 73(6), 640-655. Kahoe, R. D., & Meadow, M. (1984). Psychology of Religion: Religion in Individual Lives. New York, NY: Harper & Row. Leak, G., Loucks, A., & Bowlin, P. (1999). Development and Initial Validation of an Objective Measure of Faith Development. International Journal For The Psychology Of Religion, 9(2), 105-124. Schwartz, K. D. (2006). Transformations in parent and friends faith support predicting adolescents’ religious faith. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 16, 311–326. Picture credit – Magnet & force field. http://static.geekbeat.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Magnetic-Field-Lines-Around-a-Bar-Magnet1.jpg