StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

James Fowlers Stages of Faith and Moral Development - Assignment Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "James Fowler’s Stages of Faith and Moral Development" presents James Fowler as one of the key contributors to the study of human progress by inventing a faith development model with 7 stages that seek to draw deeply on the developmental replicas of other inspiring scholars…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.3% of users find it useful
James Fowlers Stages of Faith and Moral Development
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "James Fowlers Stages of Faith and Moral Development"

the model has solemn faults when used as a cognitive and psychosocial explanation of religious faith, but to some extent, it has strong points to be noted.

The Stages of Faith and moral development model are characterized by Fowler’s designation of faith. He defines it as the “worldwide quality of human being meaning-making”. It describes the fundamental meaning-making process utilized by all individuals regardless of their beliefs. To the author, faith occurs as persons place individual loyalty and trust in many “centers of value” such as money, religion, power, and family The model of development suggests that this structure remains uniform in spite of whether individuals side with a spiritual or unspiritual center of value ( Fowler 67). As a result, the faith development model centers on the psychological issues that make possible the operation of faith but does not address any detailed faith content; that is, the specific faith beliefs and values of a given religion.

The use of a structural technique by Fowler to systematize the faith developmental phases and how he defines faith is challenging in a manner. Being a structural theory, most readers assume that faith development clarifies in a consistent way across hierarchical, universal, and irreversible stages. According to psychological research, development entails much more variability and a rigid stage as theory is inadequate in its capability to confine diversity and richness of religious development. Further, critics differ with the logic behind Fowler’s elimination of sacred content from the development stages of faith. The exclusion was based on the concept that faith entails trust and loyalty to the center of value and has no need for the intellectual accord to any definite assertions. One scholar by the name of Jones T.P (20040 criticized this element of Fowler by arguing that Christianity involves trust and loyalty to Jesus Christ. As a center of value, yet at the same time, it is a “content-requisite faith” that is based on recognition of certain beliefs like the existence of God, Jesus’ resurrection from the departed, and Jesus as the son of God and messiah. Agreeing to other contents and beliefs apart from Christian principles is regarded as idolatry. The weakness of Fowler’s description of faith as a worldwide construct detached from religious context is that it is contrary to faith’s definition of content requisite spiritual groups ( Fowler 70).

3 strong points of James Fowler’s theory

Concrete operational thinking

This is a strong idea developed in the first stage of Fowler’s theory. Effectively, the decree of oedipal factors or their immersions in latency are vital accompanying factors. In the middle of the transition from one stage to another is a child’s growing concern to basically know how things are and to make clear personally the foundations of differences between what is factual and what solely seems to be.

The birth of imagination

This is a strong point in the first stage of Fowler’s theory. He puts forward the ability to grasp and unify the experience world in influential images as illustrated in stories that develop a child’s intuitive feelings and understanding toward the real conditions of existence ( Fowler 72).

Critical reflection

Fowler’s stage of individual-reflective stage is a stronghold of the theory based on the fact he illustrates the capacity for critical reflection as well as the willingness to face realities that may cause estrangement from comfortable patterns that result in pain.

Conclusion

The faith developmental model has been seriously criticized concerning its structural approach limitations, neglect of the self, and issues arising from the author’s definition of faith. Despite these drawbacks, Fowler’s model is appreciated for establishing a systematic psychological evaluation of religious faith development. Studies in the future may have the ability to address the flaws in the model and provide an improved method for evaluating this inclination.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Critique assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words”, n.d.)
Critique assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1488126-critique-assignment
(Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1488126-critique-assignment.
“Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1488126-critique-assignment.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF James Fowlers Stages of Faith and Moral Development

Fowlers Stages of Faith and the Christian Faith

The paper "fowlers stages of faith and the Christian Faith" seeks to understand the relation between Fowler's Stages of Faith and the Christian faith, the clarification of the connection between the two will allow for the development of more depth and deeper understanding of faith.... All of these conceptual clarifications are to be undertaken with the supposition that removing possible ambiguities deemed connected to the concepts may pave for a better understanding of what is faith and the stages of faith and on how there might be a possibility of establishing the connection between Fowler's faith and stages of faith and the Christian faith....
55 Pages (13750 words) Essay

Pastoral Care

this research paper "Pastoral Care" shows that young and old, rich or poor, from every ethnic background, cancer victims each fight a unique fight of faith and hope as they often struggle through issues that only a day before they were unaware or merely considered an annoyance.... Albers introduces a unified theory of grief based upon several clinical models of grief reactions and losses, helping others listen for the initial reaction, the shock, denial, and finally the acceptance: He argues that although Kubler-Ross speaks rightly of the positive aspects of hope and its strengthening effects, the Kubler-Ross model does not personalize the hope that can be found in personal faith....
13 Pages (3250 words) Research Paper

How do Christians view their faith Over Time and a Critique of James Fowler's

The literature review details the Six stages of faith.... The findings of the research will help our understanding of Fowler's Faith Stages and whether the stages of faith Development can be applied in the real world.... The research questions will be geared towards understanding what Fowler's stages of faith development are.... In this chapter, I will explain Fowler's stages of faith in detail.... Fowler, individuals go through six distinct stages in finding faith and meaning in life....
39 Pages (9750 words) Dissertation

Development of the Theory of Mind

The working of the mind is taken as a qualification for natural language acquisition, social interaction, moral development and knee-jerk thought.... The paper "development of the Theory of Mind" concludes that infant exhibit behaviour that are essential beginnings for the theory of mind development.... Social development psychology focuses on antecedents such as parental practices and cultural contexts of child outcomes like academic and social wellbeing....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Religions in American

Based on James Fowler's stages of faith theory, stage I Intuitive-Projective faith is the fantasy-filled, and is imitative phase.... In most cases, these predicaments and numerous mysteries, which young people cannot comprehend when they come of age, prompt them to lose their faith and abandon creeds, which they grew up believing.... This study seeks to expound much about varied stages of developments as well as certain life's issues that prompt one to change what he or she has all through since childhood believed (Wilson 87)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Stages of Faith

ritten by a well-qualified author, stages of faith discuss both the growth of faith and spiritual matter.... stages of faith: the psychology development and the quest for meaning written by Fowler James provide structural, psychological development that analyses a good theory behind development of faith.... Individuative-reflective Conjunctive faith is in the fifth stage, which majors on midlife while universalizing faith finishes the Fowler's stages of faith in mature years....
4 Pages (1000 words) Book Report/Review

Christian Eschatology since the 19th Century

This is a discourse to the study and promotion of the Christian faith.... In the paper 'Christian Eschatology since the 19th Century' the author looks at Christian eschatology, which has a much deeper meaning than it is projected and what we understand.... In the earliest recorded history of 1844, eschatology was used in one of the essays considered anti-Christian....
8 Pages (2000 words) Assignment

How Other Religions Influence the Catholic Religion

There is a unity of faith that is found in all the catholic churches that are around the world.... The Catholic Church's openness to the other religions was initiated by the Second Vatican Council and this development has made the Roman Catholic Church to deal with exclusivists, inclusive characteristics, and opinions that can be considered to be of a pluralistic nature as far as the other religions are concerned.... he difference that exists between the Jesus that is considered in history and the Jesus that is considered in faith was developed by certain modern theologians as part of an effort that was aimed at getting rid of the myths that surrounded Jesus as the Son of God and the Redeemer of the universe, dismissing the belief as a construct that came from theology and that is so loosely connected or even having no connection to the actual Jesus that existed in history (Hitchcock 12)....
9 Pages (2250 words) Literature review
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us