CED 521 Psychology of Religious Learning
Timothy W. Brock
Stages of Faith
Introduction
The information shared in this lecture and discuss is derived from Part IV of the textbook, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, by James Fowler. Additional material was derived from the book, Faith Is A Verb: Dynamics of Adult Faith Development, by Kenneth Stokes. References from this book will be noted in the body of the notes. The professor will provide additional information, as appropriate.
Classroom Activity:
Analyzing a Typical Adult Sunday School Class
- Recruit four volunteers to play the parts of Walt, Verne, Mary, and Ethel. Give each volunteer a copy of the script (Appendix A) and allow a few minutes for him or her to read over the material.
- Set the context for the other members of the class:
q Sunday morning Bible study on Genesis 1:1-24, The First Creation Story…
q The teacher has just read the passage aloud and then we hear the following conversation…
· After the skit, ask the following questions:
q Do you recognize one or more of these people?
q Have you ever participated in a similar discussion?
q In your opinion, what is going on in this discussion? What do you see happening?
q With which of the four characters do you most closely identify? Why?
q With which of the four characters do you least identify? Why?
· Summarize the vignette:
The vignette is designed to highlight differences in styles of faith and stages of faith. This vignette demonstrates the point that, in most congregations, members exhibit a variety of faithing systems. We need to acknowledge this fact and work to understand them in order to help adults in our congregations to mature in their faith.
Lecture:
Basic Questions and Basic Assumptions of Faith Development
Basic Question and Basic Assumption #1:
Is “faith” a noun or a verb?
Faith as a Noun. If faith is a noun, then faith is a “thing” to be possessed. In this approach, faith is defined as a set of beliefs, doctrines, laws, or a creed (from the Greek credo—I believe). In this approach, we accept faith as a gift from God, or we instill faith through mental assent to a set of beliefs.
Faith as a Verb. Literally, the Greek word for faith is pisto, translated as “I faith.” In this case, faith is defined in terms of actions or behaviors with which we approach life and try to make sense or meaning out of experience. As Fowler said, in this sense, faith is a universal quality in all people (whether or not it is religious in nature). In this case, faith is a dynamic, growing, changing process, a journey or a pilgrimage
Disclaimer
Doctrines and beliefs are involved; faith is a gift from God; we do possess our faith in community…but, at heart, we are constantly “faithing” our way through life. So the basic assumption in this study is that faith is a verb.
If faith is a verb, then faith is a unique blend of:
q My personal and family background…
q My religious experience, individually and in community…and
q My personal development (physical, cognitive, social, emotional, cultural, personality, etc.)
Basic Question and Basic Assumption #2:
Faith Changes
Faith develops throughout life; not only does faith mature, in some people the actual structures of the faithing system are modified or transformed.
Ask the members of the class to turn their attention to the handout, Your Opinion Please (Appendix B). What is your response to this question?
In the Faith Development in the Life Cycle Project (conducted in the early 1980’s), the research predicted that 50% of the people would agree with the first statement, and 50% would agree with the second.
The actual results:
65% stated that faith does change…
35% stated that faith is a constant…
Ask the members of the class to turn to the handout, Rating Your Faithing System (Appendix C). Listed on the sheet are 10 elements of a Christian faithing system. Prior to class, each student should complete this sheet based on the following instructions: “On the left side of the handout, each person should prioritize the list (10 to 1) as they see it now. Then, on the right side of the handout, each student should do the same activity as he or she might have seen it when he or she was 18 years old.”
Then ask the following questions:
q Speculate on the difference in the two lists, if any?
q If major changes occurred, what do you believe to be the source of these changes?
Based on this activity, one may be able to say that both the content and the structure of faith do indeed change over the course of a lifetime.
Basic Assumption #3:
We can describe faith formation in terms of
Styles of Faith and Stages of Faith.
Styles of Faith
John Westerhoff, a prominent Episcopal educator, would explain the differences that we observed in the Sunday School class by saying that the people had different styles of faith.
Refer to the handout, Westerhoff’s Styles of Faith(Appendix D).
Stages of Faith
James Fowler, a prominent theologian and developmental psychologist, would say that the people in the room were operating from different Stages of Faith.
Refer to the handouts in Appendix E to describe Fowler’s Stages of Faith.
Exploring the Implications
1. Based on your understanding of these two approaches, what is your style and stage of faith? In Appendix F, you will find an inventory which will help you to determine your stage of faith according to Fowler’s approach.
2. In your opinion, in what style or stage are most members of your congregation?
3. What dynamics occur in a class or a small group in which most persons are in the same style or stage?
4. What dynamics occur in a class or a small group in which persons represent 2 or more styles or stages?
5. What does this theory suggest about the style or stage of congregational leaders? Of teachers?
6. How does this theory affect the way we teach the Bible?
7. How do we deal with persons in transition from one style or stage to another (particularly those in a 3-4 Transition)?
Summary
· In our tradition, we have often interpreted “Faith” as a noun. We also need to explore the idea of “Faith” as a verb.
· Faith does develop (form, change)—not just mature, but also change in structure.
· Recognition of differences in faith style and stages of faith lead us to a fresh understanding of the diversity in our community (and in our world).
· Each person must find the style or stage of faith that has the fullest meaning for him or her.
· The church must find a proper balance between Accepting and Respecting a person’s present style and stage, on one hand, and Encouraging them to tolerate and/or anticipate and/or actively explore other stages.
Appendix A
Analyzing a Typical Adult Sunday School Class
The following is a description of a conversation that took place in a typical adult Sunday School class on a given Sunday morning. The leader of the class has just read Genesis 1:1-2:4, and we hear the following:
Walt: Well, to me, this is a good example of the mythical stories ancient people created to explain natural phenomena that they couldn’t understand. Since then, scientific knowledge has provided us with much more adequate answers. The Creation story is just that—a story. Why can’t we just leave in there?
Verne: Yes, but do have to assume that a “day” here in the Bible is only 24 hours? How do we know that the “days” of Creation might not have been a hundred years…or a thousand years? The Bible is very specific in speaking of days. That makes sense to me.
Mary: Why are you two arguing? Why should we even question the Bible? Its truth has been the belief of the church for centuries. Why, I’m willing to bet that if we took a survey of all the people in our church, more than half, probably three-quarters, of them would believe that God created the world in six days. That’s good enough for me.
Ethel: You know, this discussion reminds me of Lawrence and Lee’s wonderful play, Inherit the Wind. It’s based on the Scopes Trial in the 1920’s, and portrays an intense courtroom debate between a literal interpretation of the Creation story and Darwin’s theory of evolution. In the final scene, after everyone else has left, one of the lawyers picks up the two books that have symbolized these intensely different points of view—the Bible and Darwin. He holds each in one hand, balancing them up and down, then stops, puts both into his briefcase, and leaves the courtroom. Curtain! I guess that’s where I stand. I need them both!
Verne: Well, I was taught in Sunday School to believe that God could do anything. For me…
Walt: (interrupting): You know, Verne, I don’t care what you were taught in Sunday School! What do you believe now? Why do you have to say we believe the story literally, when we all know it’s not true? Science is science, religion is religion. Why mix them up?
Mary: Oh, Walter, you’re always asking questions about religion. Why can’t you just have faith like the rest of us?
Ethel: I think I understand your point of view, Walt. Your questions are good ones…ones you have to deal with, and they help all of us come to grips with where we are on some of these important issues.
Source: Faith Is A Verb, pp. 9-10.
Appendix B
Your Opinion Please
Which of the following statements best describes your own opinion?
q A person’s faith should not change throughout life because it is the foundation for life…or
q A person’s faith should change throughout life just as one’s mind and body change.
Appendix C
Rating the Elements of Your Faithing System
Below you will find ten elements which help define a Christian faithing system. In the space to the left of the text, rate the elements in order of importance in your faithing system now (10 is most important). Then in the space to the right, rate the elements as you would have rated them when you were 18 years old. Compare the results.
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Rate the Elements of Your Faithing System Now
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Elements of a Christian Faithing System
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Rate the Elements of Your Faithing System at 18
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Living a MORAL Life
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Belief in GOD
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The GOLDEN RULE
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Regular BIBLE STUDY
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CHURCH MEMBERSHIP and Participation
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A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with Christ
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An Active PRAYER LIFE
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CHRISTIAN SOCIAL Responsibility
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HELPING the less fortunate
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A Concern about AFTER DEATH
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Appendix D
Westerhoff’s Styles of Faith
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Experienced Faith
In childhood, we understand faith in terms of experience. If a child is climbing a tree, and his father asks him to jump into his arms, the child jumps without hesitation, because it has been his experience that he can trust his father to catch him. In this style, there is no doctrinal component to faith (a preschooler or young child has no understanding of the virgin birth or the doctrine of salvation). In this style, the church should include the child in literal experiences faithing (lighting the Advent candles, building a crèche, being in the Christmas pageant).
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Affiliative Faith
In this style of faith, children, youth, and adults find faith through the community—in believing what the community believes and in doing what the community expects. Community can be defined in terms of family, church family, peer group, or gang. In this style, the individual follows the demands and beliefs of the primary authority figures (parents, ministers, older peers, etc.). Individuals accept the beliefs (doctrine, dogma, creeds) of the group in order to be a part of the group. In the Sunday School skit, Verne and Mary were examples of persons with this style of faithing.
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Searching Faith
In late adolescence and into adulthood, some individuals begin to question the basic tenets of their community of faith. Because their worldview and their base of experiences have expanded, they begin to see that the community view was flawed. They enter a period of doubt and often ask uncomfortable questions in abrasive ways. In the Sunday School skit, Walt is an example of a person with this style of faithing.
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Owned Faith
Around mid-life, adults who have experienced the searching style of faith may move into a style of faithing in which they embrace the content and structure of their faith to the extent that all aspects of life are centered on the faith that they has discovered or constructed. Further, they allow and encourage others to live into the same processes, even if the others do not experience faith in the same ways. This style is best summarized by the statement, “I must believe my faith expresses God’s way for me…and I must allow others to find their way of expressing faith.”
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Westerhoff’s approach can be graphical represented in the following diagram:
Source: Faith Is A Verb, pp. 11-14.
Appendix E
Fowler’s Approach to Faith Development
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Stage 1: Intuitive-Projective Faith
Almost totally limited to children to about age 6, persons in Stage I reflect the faith attributes of parents and family as perceived by that child. At this time of his or her life, the preschool child accepts parental faith attitudes without question. This stage is characterized by fantasy, imagination, and powerful images.
This stage of faith is consistent with Westerhoff’s Experienced Faith.
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Stage 2: Mythical-Literal Faith
In later childhood, the person becomes aware of and begins to internalize the faith attitudes and views of persons, primarily adults, other than family members. He or she has an increasing awareness of different faith attitudes in society but still tends to hold to those of family and religious traditions. Some adults remain in this stage through much or all of their lives. This stage is characterized by literal thinking and literal interpretation of the Bible, but with a magical or mysterious component.
In the Sunday School skit, Verne was a person living in Stage 2.
This stage of faith is also consistent with Westerhoff’s Experienced Faith.
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Stage 3: Synthetic-Conventional Faith
In the early teens, peer pressure becomes significant. The attitudes and values of the “gang” are major determiners of most of one’s values, including those related to faith. Adherence to the “norm” is paramount as life’s increasing complexities necessitate a set of values held securely in common by a significant number of other persons close the individual. This need continues for many into adulthood, where a large percentage of people find a faith-security in their relationship with their church, synagogue, or other religious affiliation. In this stage, there is a strong emphasis on creeds, doctrines, tradition, and conformity.
In the Sunday School skit, Mary was a person living in Stage 3.
This stage of faith is consistent with Westerhoff’s Affilitative Faith.
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Stage 4: Individuative-Reflective Faith
As the adolescent moves into adulthood and begins to take an adult responsibility—marriage and family, vocation, financial responsibility—he or she also often begins to question some of the faith assumptions of parents and/or religious tradition. For many, the need to doubt, question, and even reject elements of one’s faith traditions is necessary for faith development. This phenomenon is not restricted to young adulthood, as an increasing number of persons in the middle and later years are faced with the need to rethink their faith.
In the Sunday School skit, Walt was a person living in Stage 4.
This stage of faith is consistent with Westerhoff’s Searching Faith.
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Stage 5: Conjunctive Faith
Usually no earlier than the middle years, some adults are able to bring into meaningful reconciliation the variety of faith dynamics that have played important roles in previous stages of their faith development—their faith roots of family and church, the beliefs of others, the answers they have found to their own questions, all tempered with the maturity that comes only with the experiencing of life. Stage V individuals are able to identify beyond boundaries of race, class, or ideology to understand and integrate the views of others into their own expressions of faith, arrived at individually as a mature expression of a faith that is wholly theirs.
The stage is conjunctive in that the individual is able to integrate (conjoin) elements of the content and structure of Stages 1-4 into an approach to faithing that is uniquely his or hers. Because of this return to aspects of the previous stages, this stage may be referenced as a “second naïveté.” Further, this individual is able to understand and to appreciate the faithing perspectives of others.
In the Sunday School skit, Ethel was a person living in a Stage 5 faith.
This stage of faith is consistent with Westerhoff’s Owned Faith.
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Stage 6: Universalizing Faith
Persons in Stage VI are rare. They are, however, those whose lives are so attuned to the ultimate meaning of life that their faith expression is beyond self-interest, taking on a truly universalizing quality. Fowler says of Stage VI that it “…represents the culmination of growth in faith, brought about by human fidelity and Divine grace and revelation.”
A few of the persons who are suspected to have functioned at Stage 6 included Jesus, Gandhi, Bonheoffer, and Mother Theresa.
This stage of faith is consistent with Westerhoff’s Owned Faith.
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Source: Faith Is A Verb, pp. 14-25.
Appendix E-1
The Seven Loci (or Foci) of Faith
Form of Logic
q Pre-Operational, in which there is no formal logic at work; only trial and error and consequences of behaviors…
q Concrete Operations, in which literal thinking is predominate…
q Formal Operations, in which higher level cognitive function is used with frequency and precision…
Perspective Taking
q Simple...I see the situation or person…
q Mutual…I can “see” another person looking back at me…
q Societal…I can “see” and can value a vast array of possible perspectives…
Moral Judgment
q Reciprocal judgment, focusing on what is fair…
q Interpersonal expectations, in which harmony among the group is important…
q Social perspective, in which the rights of the few must be defended by the rights of the many…
Social Awareness
q Family, as the faith-forming center…
q Community, as the focus as persons move outside the influence of the family into their immediate social groupings…
q Global, as persons become “citizens of the world…”
Locus of Authority
q Traditional authority, focusing on one or more “authority figures…”
q Consensus of the group, focusing on authority through conformity…
q Individual, formed by ideological perspective, or taking full responsibility to one’s our decisions, even when those decisions go against the consensus…
World Coherence
q Narrative or dramatic, based on my own personal and corporate stories…
q Symbolic, in which one feels a connection through common symbols, even though those symbols may not be explicitly a part of my personal experience…
q Explicit, in which the world hangs together based on conceptually-mediated and individually-constructed principles…
Function of Symbols
q One dimensional, literal…
q Multi-dimensional…
q Symbols can be separated from what they symbolize…
Appendix F
Self Assessment
What is Your Stage of Faith Survey
Instructions
Below are nine questions that will help you to determine your Faith Stage (according to the Faith Development Approach of James Fowler).[1] Each question consists of two statements. For each question, determine which of the two statements best describes your belief. Mark your choice by writing an (X) by the one answer that best describes your belief. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers.
1. ___ A. Those who do what God wants are given special rewards.
___ B. God grants comfort and strength to those who are loyal and faithful.
2. ___ A. It is important to try to make sense out of how God acts and why.
___ B. God can do whatever God wants without any particular reason.
3. ___ A. A good way to relate to God is to do what God wants, so that God will help you in return.
___ B. It is best to think of God as utterly and freely giving.
4. ___ A. It is important to reflect on one’s beliefs to make them reasonable and logically coherent.
___ B. Following Christ with loving devotion is more important than having a thorough and
correct understanding of true doctrine.
5. ___ A. Most people in the world are doing their best to live decent lives.
___ B. True followers of Christ will often find themselves rejected by the world.
6. ___ A. God’s revealed truth is meant for all people everywhere.
___ B. No set of religious beliefs is the whole and final truth for everyone.
7. ___ A. Religious leaders must respect the need for reasonableness, consistency, and
coherence in their interpretation of doctrines.
___ B. It is important to follow the leaders to whom God has entrusted his church.
8. ___ A. It is often hard to understand why people are disloyal to their family and religion.
___ B. People have to make their own best choices about religion, even if it means following
new ways.
9. ___ A. Love of neighbor requires being open to new ideas and values.
___ B. The moral teachings of the church are objectively valid for all people, even though
many do not realize this.
Faith Stages Survey Answer/Analysis Guide
Note to Evaluator
There is no sure qualitative measure to determine one’s faith stage. This test will give you an initial starting point to determining what faith stage someone is in. Clarity in determining a person’s faith stage will only come through a more thorough conversation with that person.
Evaluation
Transfer the answers from the survey to this guide. Total the columns and record the number in the appropriate spaces at the bottom. A person’s faith stage will be determined based on the totals calculated.
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Stage 2
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Stage 3
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Stage 4
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Stage 5
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Question #
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1
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___A
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___B
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2
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___B
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___A
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3
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___A
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___B
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4
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___B
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___A
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5
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___B
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___A
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6
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___A
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___B
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7
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___B
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___A
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8
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___A
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___B
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9
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___B
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___A
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Totals
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There are five possible answers for Stages 3 through 5, and 3 possible answers for Stage 2. You have found a person’s faith stage if the total for a column is 4 or above in Stages 3, 4, and 5, or 2 or above in Stage 2. In other words, if you have a total of 2 or 3 in the Stage 2 column, you may be a person of Stage 2 faith. If you have a total of 4 or 5 in one of the other columns, then most likely you are in the stage of faith indicated at the top of that column.
[1] Assessment statements were developed by: Michael Barnes, Dennis Doyle and Byron Johnson, “The Formulation of a Fowler Scale: An Empirical Assessment Among Catholics,” in Christian Perspectives on Faith Development: A Reader, ed. Jeff Astley and Leslie Francis (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 245-255.
CED 521 Psychology of Religious Learning
Timothy W. Brock
Stages of Faith
Introduction
The information shared in this lecture and discuss is derived from Part IV of the textbook, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, by James Fowler. Additional material was derived from the book, Faith Is A Verb: Dynamics of Adult Faith Development, by Kenneth Stokes. References from this book will be noted in the body of the notes. The professor will provide additional information, as appropriate.
Classroom Activity:
Analyzing a Typical Adult Sunday School Class
- Recruit four volunteers to play the parts of Walt, Verne, Mary, and Ethel. Give each volunteer a copy of the script (Appendix A) and allow a few minutes for him or her to read over the material.
- Set the context for the other members of the class:
q Sunday morning Bible study on Genesis 1:1-24, The First Creation Story…
q The teacher has just read the passage aloud and then we hear the following conversation…
· After the skit, ask the following questions:
q Do you recognize one or more of these people?
q Have you ever participated in a similar discussion?
q In your opinion, what is going on in this discussion? What do you see happening?
q With which of the four characters do you most closely identify? Why?
q With which of the four characters do you least identify? Why?
· Summarize the vignette:
The vignette is designed to highlight differences in styles of faith and stages of faith. This vignette demonstrates the point that, in most congregations, members exhibit a variety of faithing systems. We need to acknowledge this fact and work to understand them in order to help adults in our congregations to mature in their faith.
Lecture:
Basic Questions and Basic Assumptions of Faith Development
Basic Question and Basic Assumption #1:
Is “faith” a noun or a verb?
Faith as a Noun. If faith is a noun, then faith is a “thing” to be possessed. In this approach, faith is defined as a set of beliefs, doctrines, laws, or a creed (from the Greek credo—I believe). In this approach, we accept faith as a gift from God, or we instill faith through mental assent to a set of beliefs.
Faith as a Verb. Literally, the Greek word for faith is pisto, translated as “I faith.” In this case, faith is defined in terms of actions or behaviors with which we approach life and try to make sense or meaning out of experience. As Fowler said, in this sense, faith is a universal quality in all people (whether or not it is religious in nature). In this case, faith is a dynamic, growing, changing process, a journey or a pilgrimage
Disclaimer
Doctrines and beliefs are involved; faith is a gift from God; we do possess our faith in community…but, at heart, we are constantly “faithing” our way through life. So the basic assumption in this study is that faith is a verb.
If faith is a verb, then faith is a unique blend of:
q My personal and family background…
q My religious experience, individually and in community…and
q My personal development (physical, cognitive, social, emotional, cultural, personality, etc.)
Basic Question and Basic Assumption #2:
Faith Changes
Faith develops throughout life; not only does faith mature, in some people the actual structures of the faithing system are modified or transformed.
Ask the members of the class to turn their attention to the handout, Your Opinion Please (Appendix B). What is your response to this question?
In the Faith Development in the Life Cycle Project (conducted in the early 1980’s), the research predicted that 50% of the people would agree with the first statement, and 50% would agree with the second.
The actual results:
65% stated that faith does change…
35% stated that faith is a constant…
Ask the members of the class to turn to the handout, Rating Your Faithing System (Appendix C). Listed on the sheet are 10 elements of a Christian faithing system. Prior to class, each student should complete this sheet based on the following instructions: “On the left side of the handout, each person should prioritize the list (10 to 1) as they see it now. Then, on the right side of the handout, each student should do the same activity as he or she might have seen it when he or she was 18 years old.”
Then ask the following questions:
q Speculate on the difference in the two lists, if any?
q If major changes occurred, what do you believe to be the source of these changes?
Based on this activity, one may be able to say that both the content and the structure of faith do indeed change over the course of a lifetime.
Basic Assumption #3:
We can describe faith formation in terms of
Styles of Faith and Stages of Faith.
Styles of Faith
John Westerhoff, a prominent Episcopal educator, would explain the differences that we observed in the Sunday School class by saying that the people had different styles of faith.
Refer to the handout, Westerhoff’s Styles of Faith(Appendix D).
Stages of Faith
James Fowler, a prominent theologian and developmental psychologist, would say that the people in the room were operating from different Stages of Faith.
Refer to the handouts in Appendix E to describe Fowler’s Stages of Faith.
Exploring the Implications
1. Based on your understanding of these two approaches, what is your style and stage of faith? In Appendix F, you will find an inventory which will help you to determine your stage of faith according to Fowler’s approach.
2. In your opinion, in what style or stage are most members of your congregation?
3. What dynamics occur in a class or a small group in which most persons are in the same style or stage?
4. What dynamics occur in a class or a small group in which persons represent 2 or more styles or stages?
5. What does this theory suggest about the style or stage of congregational leaders? Of teachers?
6. How does this theory affect the way we teach the Bible?
7. How do we deal with persons in transition from one style or stage to another (particularly those in a 3-4 Transition)?
Summary
· In our tradition, we have often interpreted “Faith” as a noun. We also need to explore the idea of “Faith” as a verb.
· Faith does develop (form, change)—not just mature, but also change in structure.
· Recognition of differences in faith style and stages of faith lead us to a fresh understanding of the diversity in our community (and in our world).
· Each person must find the style or stage of faith that has the fullest meaning for him or her.
· The church must find a proper balance between Accepting and Respecting a person’s present style and stage, on one hand, and Encouraging them to tolerate and/or anticipate and/or actively explore other stages.
Appendix A
Analyzing a Typical Adult Sunday School Class
The following is a description of a conversation that took place in a typical adult Sunday School class on a given Sunday morning. The leader of the class has just read Genesis 1:1-2:4, and we hear the following:
Walt: Well, to me, this is a good example of the mythical stories ancient people created to explain natural phenomena that they couldn’t understand. Since then, scientific knowledge has provided us with much more adequate answers. The Creation story is just that—a story. Why can’t we just leave in there?
Verne: Yes, but do have to assume that a “day” here in the Bible is only 24 hours? How do we know that the “days” of Creation might not have been a hundred years…or a thousand years? The Bible is very specific in speaking of days. That makes sense to me.
Mary: Why are you two arguing? Why should we even question the Bible? Its truth has been the belief of the church for centuries. Why, I’m willing to bet that if we took a survey of all the people in our church, more than half, probably three-quarters, of them would believe that God created the world in six days. That’s good enough for me.
Ethel: You know, this discussion reminds me of Lawrence and Lee’s wonderful play, Inherit the Wind. It’s based on the Scopes Trial in the 1920’s, and portrays an intense courtroom debate between a literal interpretation of the Creation story and Darwin’s theory of evolution. In the final scene, after everyone else has left, one of the lawyers picks up the two books that have symbolized these intensely different points of view—the Bible and Darwin. He holds each in one hand, balancing them up and down, then stops, puts both into his briefcase, and leaves the courtroom. Curtain! I guess that’s where I stand. I need them both!
Verne: Well, I was taught in Sunday School to believe that God could do anything. For me…
Walt: (interrupting): You know, Verne, I don’t care what you were taught in Sunday School! What do you believe now? Why do you have to say we believe the story literally, when we all know it’s not true? Science is science, religion is religion. Why mix them up?
Mary: Oh, Walter, you’re always asking questions about religion. Why can’t you just have faith like the rest of us?
Ethel: I think I understand your point of view, Walt. Your questions are good ones…ones you have to deal with, and they help all of us come to grips with where we are on some of these important issues.
Source: Faith Is A Verb, pp. 9-10.
Appendix B
Your Opinion Please
Which of the following statements best describes your own opinion?
q A person’s faith should not change throughout life because it is the foundation for life…or
q A person’s faith should change throughout life just as one’s mind and body change.
Appendix C
Rating the Elements of Your Faithing System
Below you will find ten elements which help define a Christian faithing system. In the space to the left of the text, rate the elements in order of importance in your faithing system now (10 is most important). Then in the space to the right, rate the elements as you would have rated them when you were 18 years old. Compare the results.
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Rate the Elements of Your Faithing System Now
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Elements of a Christian Faithing System
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Rate the Elements of Your Faithing System at 18
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Living a MORAL Life
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Belief in GOD
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The GOLDEN RULE
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Regular BIBLE STUDY
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CHURCH MEMBERSHIP and Participation
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A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with Christ
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An Active PRAYER LIFE
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CHRISTIAN SOCIAL Responsibility
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HELPING the less fortunate
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A Concern about AFTER DEATH
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Appendix D
Westerhoff’s Styles of Faith
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Experienced Faith
In childhood, we understand faith in terms of experience. If a child is climbing a tree, and his father asks him to jump into his arms, the child jumps without hesitation, because it has been his experience that he can trust his father to catch him. In this style, there is no doctrinal component to faith (a preschooler or young child has no understanding of the virgin birth or the doctrine of salvation). In this style, the church should include the child in literal experiences faithing (lighting the Advent candles, building a crèche, being in the Christmas pageant).
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Affiliative Faith
In this style of faith, children, youth, and adults find faith through the community—in believing what the community believes and in doing what the community expects. Community can be defined in terms of family, church family, peer group, or gang. In this style, the individual follows the demands and beliefs of the primary authority figures (parents, ministers, older peers, etc.). Individuals accept the beliefs (doctrine, dogma, creeds) of the group in order to be a part of the group. In the Sunday School skit, Verne and Mary were examples of persons with this style of faithing.
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Searching Faith
In late adolescence and into adulthood, some individuals begin to question the basic tenets of their community of faith. Because their worldview and their base of experiences have expanded, they begin to see that the community view was flawed. They enter a period of doubt and often ask uncomfortable questions in abrasive ways. In the Sunday School skit, Walt is an example of a person with this style of faithing.
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Owned Faith
Around mid-life, adults who have experienced the searching style of faith may move into a style of faithing in which they embrace the content and structure of their faith to the extent that all aspects of life are centered on the faith that they has discovered or constructed. Further, they allow and encourage others to live into the same processes, even if the others do not experience faith in the same ways. This style is best summarized by the statement, “I must believe my faith expresses God’s way for me…and I must allow others to find their way of expressing faith.”
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Westerhoff’s approach can be graphical represented in the following diagram:
Source: Faith Is A Verb, pp. 11-14.
Appendix E
Fowler’s Approach to Faith Development
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Stage 1: Intuitive-Projective Faith
Almost totally limited to children to about age 6, persons in Stage I reflect the faith attributes of parents and family as perceived by that child. At this time of his or her life, the preschool child accepts parental faith attitudes without question. This stage is characterized by fantasy, imagination, and powerful images.
This stage of faith is consistent with Westerhoff’s Experienced Faith.
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Stage 2: Mythical-Literal Faith
In later childhood, the person becomes aware of and begins to internalize the faith attitudes and views of persons, primarily adults, other than family members. He or she has an increasing awareness of different faith attitudes in society but still tends to hold to those of family and religious traditions. Some adults remain in this stage through much or all of their lives. This stage is characterized by literal thinking and literal interpretation of the Bible, but with a magical or mysterious component.
In the Sunday School skit, Verne was a person living in Stage 2.
This stage of faith is also consistent with Westerhoff’s Experienced Faith.
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Stage 3: Synthetic-Conventional Faith
In the early teens, peer pressure becomes significant. The attitudes and values of the “gang” are major determiners of most of one’s values, including those related to faith. Adherence to the “norm” is paramount as life’s increasing complexities necessitate a set of values held securely in common by a significant number of other persons close the individual. This need continues for many into adulthood, where a large percentage of people find a faith-security in their relationship with their church, synagogue, or other religious affiliation. In this stage, there is a strong emphasis on creeds, doctrines, tradition, and conformity.
In the Sunday School skit, Mary was a person living in Stage 3.
This stage of faith is consistent with Westerhoff’s Affilitative Faith.
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Stage 4: Individuative-Reflective Faith
As the adolescent moves into adulthood and begins to take an adult responsibility—marriage and family, vocation, financial responsibility—he or she also often begins to question some of the faith assumptions of parents and/or religious tradition. For many, the need to doubt, question, and even reject elements of one’s faith traditions is necessary for faith development. This phenomenon is not restricted to young adulthood, as an increasing number of persons in the middle and later years are faced with the need to rethink their faith.
In the Sunday School skit, Walt was a person living in Stage 4.
This stage of faith is consistent with Westerhoff’s Searching Faith.
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Stage 5: Conjunctive Faith
Usually no earlier than the middle years, some adults are able to bring into meaningful reconciliation the variety of faith dynamics that have played important roles in previous stages of their faith development—their faith roots of family and church, the beliefs of others, the answers they have found to their own questions, all tempered with the maturity that comes only with the experiencing of life. Stage V individuals are able to identify beyond boundaries of race, class, or ideology to understand and integrate the views of others into their own expressions of faith, arrived at individually as a mature expression of a faith that is wholly theirs.
The stage is conjunctive in that the individual is able to integrate (conjoin) elements of the content and structure of Stages 1-4 into an approach to faithing that is uniquely his or hers. Because of this return to aspects of the previous stages, this stage may be referenced as a “second naïveté.” Further, this individual is able to understand and to appreciate the faithing perspectives of others.
In the Sunday School skit, Ethel was a person living in a Stage 5 faith.
This stage of faith is consistent with Westerhoff’s Owned Faith.
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Stage 6: Universalizing Faith
Persons in Stage VI are rare. They are, however, those whose lives are so attuned to the ultimate meaning of life that their faith expression is beyond self-interest, taking on a truly universalizing quality. Fowler says of Stage VI that it “…represents the culmination of growth in faith, brought about by human fidelity and Divine grace and revelation.”
A few of the persons who are suspected to have functioned at Stage 6 included Jesus, Gandhi, Bonheoffer, and Mother Theresa.
This stage of faith is consistent with Westerhoff’s Owned Faith.
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Source: Faith Is A Verb, pp. 14-25.
Appendix E-1
The Seven Loci (or Foci) of Faith
Form of Logic
q Pre-Operational, in which there is no formal logic at work; only trial and error and consequences of behaviors…
q Concrete Operations, in which literal thinking is predominate…
q Formal Operations, in which higher level cognitive function is used with frequency and precision…
Perspective Taking
q Simple...I see the situation or person…
q Mutual…I can “see” another person looking back at me…
q Societal…I can “see” and can value a vast array of possible perspectives…
Moral Judgment
q Reciprocal judgment, focusing on what is fair…
q Interpersonal expectations, in which harmony among the group is important…
q Social perspective, in which the rights of the few must be defended by the rights of the many…
Social Awareness
q Family, as the faith-forming center…
q Community, as the focus as persons move outside the influence of the family into their immediate social groupings…
q Global, as persons become “citizens of the world…”
Locus of Authority
q Traditional authority, focusing on one or more “authority figures…”
q Consensus of the group, focusing on authority through conformity…
q Individual, formed by ideological perspective, or taking full responsibility to one’s our decisions, even when those decisions go against the consensus…
World Coherence
q Narrative or dramatic, based on my own personal and corporate stories…
q Symbolic, in which one feels a connection through common symbols, even though those symbols may not be explicitly a part of my personal experience…
q Explicit, in which the world hangs together based on conceptually-mediated and individually-constructed principles…
Function of Symbols
q One dimensional, literal…
q Multi-dimensional…
q Symbols can be separated from what they symbolize…
Appendix F
Self Assessment
What is Your Stage of Faith Survey
Instructions
Below are nine questions that will help you to determine your Faith Stage (according to the Faith Development Approach of James Fowler).[1] Each question consists of two statements. For each question, determine which of the two statements best describes your belief. Mark your choice by writing an (X) by the one answer that best describes your belief. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers.
1. ___ A. Those who do what God wants are given special rewards.
___ B. God grants comfort and strength to those who are loyal and faithful.
2. ___ A. It is important to try to make sense out of how God acts and why.
___ B. God can do whatever God wants without any particular reason.
3. ___ A. A good way to relate to God is to do what God wants, so that God will help you in return.
___ B. It is best to think of God as utterly and freely giving.
4. ___ A. It is important to reflect on one’s beliefs to make them reasonable and logically coherent.
___ B. Following Christ with loving devotion is more important than having a thorough and
correct understanding of true doctrine.
5. ___ A. Most people in the world are doing their best to live decent lives.
___ B. True followers of Christ will often find themselves rejected by the world.
6. ___ A. God’s revealed truth is meant for all people everywhere.
___ B. No set of religious beliefs is the whole and final truth for everyone.
7. ___ A. Religious leaders must respect the need for reasonableness, consistency, and
coherence in their interpretation of doctrines.
___ B. It is important to follow the leaders to whom God has entrusted his church.
8. ___ A. It is often hard to understand why people are disloyal to their family and religion.
___ B. People have to make their own best choices about religion, even if it means following
new ways.
9. ___ A. Love of neighbor requires being open to new ideas and values.
___ B. The moral teachings of the church are objectively valid for all people, even though
many do not realize this.
Faith Stages Survey Answer/Analysis Guide
Note to Evaluator
There is no sure qualitative measure to determine one’s faith stage. This test will give you an initial starting point to determining what faith stage someone is in. Clarity in determining a person’s faith stage will only come through a more thorough conversation with that person.
Evaluation
Transfer the answers from the survey to this guide. Total the columns and record the number in the appropriate spaces at the bottom. A person’s faith stage will be determined based on the totals calculated.
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Stage 2
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Stage 3
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Stage 4
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Stage 5
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Question #
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1
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___A
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___B
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2
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___B
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___A
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3
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___A
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___B
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4
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___B
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___A
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5
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___B
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___A
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6
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___A
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___B
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7
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___B
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___A
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8
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___A
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___B
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9
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___B
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___A
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Totals
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There are five possible answers for Stages 3 through 5, and 3 possible answers for Stage 2. You have found a person’s faith stage if the total for a column is 4 or above in Stages 3, 4, and 5, or 2 or above in Stage 2. In other words, if you have a total of 2 or 3 in the Stage 2 column, you may be a person of Stage 2 faith. If you have a total of 4 or 5 in one of the other columns, then most likely you are in the stage of faith indicated at the top of that column.
[1] Assessment statements were developed by: Michael Barnes, Dennis Doyle and Byron Johnson, “The Formulation of a Fowler Scale: An Empirical Assessment Among Catholics,” in Christian Perspectives on Faith Development: A Reader, ed. Jeff Astley and Leslie Francis (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 245-255.