James William Fowler III (1940–2015) was an American theologian who was Professor of Theology and Human Development atEmory University. He was director of both the Center for Research on Faith and Moral Development, and the Center for Ethics until he retired in 2005. He was a minister in theUnited Methodist Church.[4][5] Fowler is best known for his bookStages of Faith, published in 1981, in which he sought to develop the idea of adevelopmental process in "human faith".
Fowler was born inReidsville,North Carolina, on October 12, 1940, the son of aMethodist minister.[4] In 1977, Fowler was appointed Associate Professor of Theology and Human Development at theCandler School of Theology atEmory University.[1] He was later named Charles Howard Candler Professor of Theology and Human Development.[1][6] He died on October 16, 2015.[1]
Stage 0 – "Primal or Undifferentiated" faith (birth to 2 years), is characterized by an early learning of the safety of their environment (i.e. warm, safe and secure vs. hurt, neglect and abuse). If consistent nurture is experienced, one will develop a sense of trust and safety about the universe and the divine. Conversely, negative experiences will cause one to develop distrust about the universe and the divine. Transition to the next stage begins with integration of thought and language which facilitates the use of symbols in speech and play.
Stage 1 – "Intuitive-Projective" faith (ages of three to seven), is characterized by the psyche's unprotected exposure to theUnconscious, and marked by a relative fluidity of thought patterns.[8] Religion is learned mainly through experiences, stories, images, and the people that one comes in contact with.
Stage 2 – "Mythic-Literal" faith (mostly in school children), is characterized by persons have a strong belief in thejustice and reciprocity of the universe, and theirdeities are almost alwaysanthropomorphic. During this timemetaphors andsymbolic language are often misunderstood and are taken literally.
Stage 3 – "Synthetic-Conventional" faith (arising in adolescence; aged 12 to adulthood), is characterized byconformity to authority and the religious development of a personal identity. Any conflicts with one's beliefs are ignored at this stage due to the fear of threat from inconsistencies.
Stage 4 – "Individuative-Reflective" faith (usually mid-twenties to late thirties), is a stage ofangst and struggle. The individual takes personal responsibility for his or herbeliefs andfeelings. As one is able to reflect on one's own beliefs, there is an openness to a new complexity of faith, but this also increases the awareness of conflicts in one's belief.
Stage 5 – "Conjunctive" faith (mid-life crisis), acknowledges paradox andtranscendence relating reality behind the symbols of inherited systems. The individual resolves conflicts from previous stages by a complex understanding of a multidimensional, interdependent "truth" that cannot be explained by any particular statement.
Stage 6 – "Universalizing" faith. The individual would treat any person with compassion as he or she views people as from a universal community, and should be treated with universal principles of love and justice.
Fowler's model has inspired a considerable body of empirical research into faith development, although little of such research was ever conducted by Fowler himself. A useful tool here has been Gary Leak's Faith Development Scale, or FDS, which has been subject tofactor analysis by Leak.[9]For criticism seeDevelopmental approaches to religion.
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Osmer, Richard; Bridgers, Lynn (2018) [2015]."James Fowler".Christian Educators of the 20th Century. La Mirada, California: Biola University. RetrievedAugust 27, 2020.
Fowler, James W. (1986). "Stages of Faith". In Wolski Conn, Joann (ed.).Women's Spirituality: Resources for Christian Development. New York: Paulist Press. pp. 342–48.
Fowler, James W. (1981).Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning. San Francisco, California: Harper & Row.ISBN978-0-06-062840-6.
Wulff, David M. (1997).Psychology of Religion: Classic and Contemporary (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.ISBN978-0-471-03706-4.
Zastrow, Charles; Kirst-Ashman, Karen (2007).Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment. Belmont, California: Thomson Brooks/Cole.ISBN978-0-495-00622-0.
