Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning

by James W. Fowler

Dr. James Fowler has asked these questions, and others like them, of nearly six hundred people. He has talked with men, women, and children of all ages, from four to eighty-eight, including Jews, Catholics, Protestants, agnostics, and atheists. In many cases, the interviews became in-depth conversations that provided rare, intimate glimpses into the various ways our lives have meaning and purpose, windows into what this books calls faith. Faith, as approached here, is not necessarily religious, nor is it to be equated with belief. Rather, faith is a person's way of leaning into and making sense of life. More verb that noun, faith is the dynamic system of images, values, and commitments that guide one's life. It is thus everyone who chooses to go on living operated by some basic faith. Building on the contributions of such key thinkers as Piaget, Erikson, and Kohlberg, Fowler draws on a wide range of scholarship, literature, and firsthand research to present expertly and engagingly the six stages that emerge in working out the meaning of our lives--from the intuitive, imitative faith of childhood through conventional and then more independent faith to the universalizing, self-transcending faith of full maturity. Stages of Faith helps us to understand our own pilgrimage of faith, the passages of our own quest for meaning and value.

Genres: Psychology, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Faith, Theology, Philosophy

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1981

Reviews

[Karen Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't the most exciting or engaging book I've ever read, but it did have a huge impact on my life's direction. I went into it thinking I would be in the spiritually advanced stage, only to find out I was really just stuck in the middle one... the one that most people don't make it past. This prompted me to really figure out what I believed and to get some backing for what I "knew" to be true. I have this book to thank for actually making me think about my beliefs. I feel like I can actually defend what I believe these days instead of just regurgitating things people have told me my entire life.

I liked that the book didn't tell you what to believe... it didn't have a pro-Christianity or pro-aethiest agenda, it was just a book that said "If the person in this example sounds like you, this is the stage you're in. What are you going to do to further enlighten yourself and increase your level of thinking?" Like I said, it wasn't the most exciting book to read, but it prompted a lot of deep thinking which is why I'm rating it 4 stars. A great book for anyone to read no matter what your religious views are.

p.s. The first part of the book was somewhat tedious. I started to read it and then skimmed to get to the actual stages. Much more interesting material there.

[Keith Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I meet a new client, after they’ve told me about the problem that brings them to see me, I’ll ask if the problem has a spiritual dimension. Often, this gets us to the heart of the matter.

Most people answer by telling me the name of their religion, or lack thereof. I’m more interested in how they talk about it than what they say. How they talk about spiritual matters reveals the stage of development of their faith; and faith, broadly speaking, affects everything.

Faith changes and matures, just like everything else. If your understanding of God is the same now as you had in Sunday school, when He may have been presented in a cartoonish, oversimplified way, then you’re arrested in your development, whether you believe in that cartoonish, oversimplified god, or not. The old, bearded man in a cloud, strictly enforcing rules, and punishing your enemies may be a meaningful image for first graders, but it’s a problematic one for adults.

In the beginning, when you’re a newborn, you don’t know the meaning of the words God or Torah or church. All you know is whether you’re cared for or not. To the extent that you’re cared for, that becomes the basis of any faith that follows. Folks in this stage of spiritual development who are not infants have no language or symbols to speak about spiritual things, but they have a degree of trust or mistrust in themselves and others, and everything they get from being trustful or mistrustful.

As you get a little older and begin to understand language, the stories you hear create powerful images that you’re unable to process in any logical manner. Fantasy is not distinguishable from reality for a four-year-old. When religious images are introduced at this time, they acquire a numinous quality, a deep emotional resonance. Adults operating in this stage may feel themselves drawn to and stirred by songs or symbols or rituals, but have no words to describe what they experience.

When you start to go to school and are around other kids who are not in your family, you begin to care about being accepted. You want to know if the other kids will play with you and not tease you about the way you look. Since you’re primarily interested in belonging, you’ll accept most of the teachings of people you belong to without reflecting deeply on them. Adults in this stage have a tribal religion. Any questioning of God to them seems disloyal; a challenge is equated to a betrayal.

Then you become a teenager and start to question everything. I encounter many adults in this next stage. They may say they’ve stopped believing in God; but, they’ve only stopped believing in a primal, tribal god and are struggling to conceptualize a God who is over all of creation. They might turn towards science. Discovering the intricacies of the design of nature is like a religious experience for them, independent of the existence of the designer.

Many people believe this is as far as it’s possible to get in spiritual development, but it’s really the gateway to a mature faith. You can remain a perpetual questioner, or you could begin to question questioning. Folks in the next stage embrace polarities, enjoy paradoxes, and accept multiple interpretations. They make room for mystery.

You don’t replace one stage with the next; you accumulate them. When you mature, you still have an infant or a young child in you who is stirred by numinous images beyond words. You still have a part of you who questions, while you have another part that doesn’t need answers.

You can always tell when a person thinks they must do away with the old way of thinking before adding a new. They’re having a crisis of faith. The old ways of thinking no longer work, but they want to cling to them because they don’t have anything better. This angst and despair comes out in other ways. That’s when they look for a counselor.

They should probably see a spiritual counselor, rather than a shrink; but they may not know it’s a spiritual crisis they’re having. Also, they really need someone in a stage of faith more advanced than their own, who can show them the way. That’s not so easy to find. It’s not as if, when you pass from one stage to another, you get a diploma from theology school you can hang on the wall.

I didn’t come up with the idea of the stages of faith by myself. I got it from James Fowler, in his book called Stages of Faith. People who know about Erikson’s stages of ego development, or Piaget’s stages of cognitive development, or Kolberg’s stages of moral development can see that Fowler was influenced by them. Fowler would say that ego, cognition, morals, and faith all develop in step with each other. He would add that faith is faith, whether it’s in God, in yourself, or in others, and say that you can’t have one without having another.

By the way, there’s one more stage: saintly faith. If people in all the other stages can be seen as learning to have faith; in this stage, they’re an example of faith. Their faith has grown to such an extent that they no longer need to be cared for, like a baby; they care. They no longer need to belong; they accept. They no longer need to have things explained to them, they understand. They no longer even need to keep it all together; they pour themselves out freely because there’s no limit to the love they’ve found.

Keith Wilson writes on mental health and relationship issues on his blog, Madness 101

[Elizabeth Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Fowler's STAGES OF FAITH early in my formation as a spiritual director; the idea that faith (like identity, morality, and thought) develops in discernible stages was revolutionary to me and very helpful in understanding the spiritual lives of my clients. I picked the book up again recently because I'm finding myself in the midst of tumultuous internal changes as I move into serious contemplative practice and I wanted to do another life-review.

Goodness. Fowler's work still feels vital--even essential. "Faith," Fowler writes, "is a human universal. We are endowed at birth with nascent capacities for faith. ... Faith…is our way of finding coherence in and giving meaning to the multiple forces and relations that make up our lives. Faith is a person’s way of seeing him-or herself in relation to others against a background of shared meaning and purpose." As a culture we still can't grasp this basic function of our humanity or that it needs tending and maturation. We're all hung up on faith being a religious impulse, which severely limits our capacity to understand how and why we function as we do. I'm immensely grateful to Fowler for grounding me back in this fundamental aspect of my humanity, and for delineating with such grace (and narrative skill!) patterns of growth and transformation in faith.

I'm left wondering, though, about the role of spiritual practice--deliberate, engaged disciplines--in facilitating faith development. At the end of the book Fowler mentions environments and practices that are conducive to growth but he never explores the intersection between intensional practice and real faith change. If anyone knows of texts that explicate this, I'd love recommendations!

[Alexandra Chauran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a fellow student in my doctoral degree program. It was a pretty mind-blowing read, and one that I will recommend. It presents preliminary research on faith as a part of the human condition. Fowler explains that faith can be divorced from religion, although the work presented here is in a Christian religious context. This book helped me understand the nature of belief as an attitude and faith as a sort of trust and how that affects social relationships. Parts I and V were the real meat of the book, as the middle of the book was mainly a review on psychosocial development theories as a whole. This book will influence my research as well as my personal spiritual mentoring of students. This book was available at my local library.

[Blaine Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please everyone, add developmental knowledge to your worldview... human beings develop through identifiable stages of perspective and inclusiveness. It's really rather simple: later stages are more inclusive, earlier stages include fewer perspectives; whether you're talking about race, gender, values, religious views, moral decision-making, ethnics, law and order, punishment, and so on... Fowler focuses on how human beings develop through stages of religious faith in particular but others have found similar stages in ego-identity, moral-decision making, judgment, and so on.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally found Stages of Faith on a Tumblr post a few months ago, and the systematic approach to faith development immediately sparked my interest. When I additionally found that a speaker at the annual Northstar conference (a venue for Latter-Day Saint LGBT individuals to interact and reflect on the intersection of their faith and sexuality) would be presenting on Fowler's faith stages, I knew that I wanted to look deeper into the topic.How does one construct a model of faith development that isn't limited to one faith tradition? Most faiths are unique enough that they have their own envisioned path ("strait is the gate and narrow is the path that leadeth to eternal life"). In the Latter-Day Saint tradition in particular, we are eager to emphasize the uniqueness of the Restored gospel as opposed to the many Christian sects we generalize as "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof." From an early age, we are taught the basic principles of the gospel (faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end) that eventually blossoms into a covenantal pathway that peaks at eternal marriage. Perhaps the idea that some psychologist somewhere thinks he can put our faith in a box and compare it to other religions seems belittling.For me, I found it absolutely empowering. I am normally very wary of systems and structures that try to divide up people into types or personalities. First, they seem overconfident in their ability to capture the complexity of the human experience (see this Adam Ruins Everything episode on the Kaplan-Meier personality test). Second, I feel that we see what we want to see when we use such systems, and they can ultimately become self-fulfilling prophecies ("My horoscope said I was going to have a bad day, so don't try to make me feel better!") And while it may be fun to find out if you're a Slytherin or a Gryffindor, would it really be a good thing to split up a school like that? If I am skeptical of such systems, I take them with a grain of salt and try to find what explanatory power they can offer. One system of faith I have found very useful is the concept of centers offered by Stephen Covey, and the aspiration of attaining a divine center. In regards to faith, I found Fowler's stages of faith also very powerful in explaining certain observations about my faith experience.To explain how Fowler manages to attain a developmental theory of faith that generalizable, Fowler focuses on the structure of faith rather than its content. The content of faith, he explains, are the values, images of power, and master stories used in each faith tradition. In Mormon lingo, this would be doctrines and principles. Fowler proposes that the structure of faith is generalizable, and he demonstrates a 6-stage system of increasing complexity. They are, in brief:
1. Intuitive-projective faith: the child-like faith where reality and fantasy are mixed
2. Mythic-literal faith: the ability to construct narratives emerges
3. Synthetic-conventional faith: organized faith, used to maintain identity
4. Individuative-reflective faith: able to think outside the box and view faith externally
5. Conjunctive faith: return to symbols of earlier faith, comfortable with paradox

In a separate post, I have included Fowler's in-depth descriptions of each faith stage if you are interested in learning about them in more detail.The idea of faith stages implies that there are others who are more developed in their faith. This might come off as condescending to some extent, and Fowler acknowledges this in his text:

...the implication that more developed structural stages of knowing are, in important ways, more comprehensive and adequate than the less developed ones; that the more developed stages make possible a knowing that in some sense is "more true" than that of less developed stages. Instinctively many of us reared in a pluralistic, democratic ethos and saturated with an implicit values relativism feel offended by claims like these...

I was also hesitant to try and place myself in any faith stage for that very reason. I mean, a self evaluation probably isn't fair in and of itself. And I also was also tried to be conscious of such biases when drawing my own conclusions based on Fowler's theory. I wanted to reflect on a few conclusions I arrived at while reflecting on these faith stages.

Most Mormons I know and interact with have a Stage 3 faith, synthetic conventional. Again, you can read the full description here. One of the primary roles of faith to Mormons is providing identity. To a larger extent than many other Christian denominations, Mormons create a distinct identity for themselves marked by the way they dress, act, and the standards they exhibit in public. We tend to be conformist in the same sense that Fowler outlines: there are expectations and judgments within our wards and stakes that are fairly influential in how we choose to live. We don't keep the Word of Wisdom just because we feel it is morally wrong, but because we are concerned about how our family and ward members will react if we were to break it. We tend to have tacit beliefs; Mormons don't often reflect on their beliefs from "outside the stream" meaning being able to look on our faith critically. If a critical evaluation of faith does come up in conversation, it is often looked on with suspicion as out of line, and possibly on the road to apostasy. And Mormons hold their church leaders as the ultimate authority in all things religious.

Being at Stage 3 isn't "bad" either. Fowler remarks that the majority of adults, regardless of their faith, find an equilibrium in Stage 3. He also states that religious institutions "work best" if the majority are Stage 3 individuals. But he also acknowledges in later chapters that it can be limiting, and, when explaining his own ideas of the content of faith in Christianity, explains that Christ is calling all of us to a Stage 6 faith. Mormonism currently fits into this explanation of modal synthetic conventional faith:

The average expectable level of development for adults in a given community. In faith terms, it refers to the conscious or unconscious image of adult faith toward which the educational practices, religious celebrations and patterns of governance in a community all aim. The modal level operates as a kind of magnet in religious communities. Patterns of nurture prepare children and youth to grow up to the modal level-- but not beyond it. Persons from outside the community are attracted to the community because of its modal developmental level. The operation of the modal level in a community sets an effective limit on the ongoing process of growth in faith. My observations lead me to judge that the modal developmental level in most middle-class American churches and synagogues is best described in terms of Synthetic-Conventional faith or perhaps just beyond it.

But we are much more anchored in our faith when we allow ourselves to progress to further faith stages:

The further one moves from a Synthetic-Conventional structuring of faith, the more likely one is to exhibit increased commitment in faith. The incidence of extrinsic motivation (utilitarian commitments to religion which serves other interests one has) virtually disappears. Intrinsic motivation (loyalty and commitment to one's world view as true, regardless of whether it brings benefits or blame) characterizes postconventional faith.

Coming out for LGBT Mormons can be a precursor to a faith stage transition to Stage 4 Individuative Reflective faith. Fowler explains that a transition to Stage 4 often begins with a "leaving home" experience, either physically or emotionally. When LGBT members first confront their sexuality, which seems so foreign to the Mormon narrative, they are almost forced to examine their faith from outside the normal perspective. This can perhaps lead to a change in the content of faith if they choose to leave the Church. But it can also cause them to become more reflective of their faith and confront paradoxes that could eventually lead to another transition to Stage 5 faith. I found this to be a particularly powerful explanation of the LGBT Mormon experience.

I would also like to make a note regarding relativity. Particularly for Mormon readers, the discussion might arise questions of moral relativity. I think Fowler does a beautiful job throughout the book addressing these concerns. For instance, in his discussion of Stage 5 faith, he states: "Stage 5 also sees however, that the relativity of religious traditions that matters is not their relativity to each other but their relativity-- their relateivity-- to the reality to which they mediate relation." And in Stage 6: "Particularities are cherished because they are vessels of the universal, and thereby valuable apart from any utilitarian considerations." Respecting other people's faith, finding value and meaning in it doesn't have to devalue your own or cause you to question your own values and principles. I love this, and I think we need more of it in the world.

I highly recommend this book, and I hope I can convince a few people to give it a look.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lately I’ve been interested in reading up on human development and growth through different stages of life (Piaget, Erickson, etc.). Primarily, Fowler’s book seemed to be one that had been around a while and proven helpful. Overall, the chapters on the different stages of faith are fantastic. Other parts of the book are pretty good, such as his discussion of the difference between “belief” and “faith”. In the ancient world, belief was not just the things in your head you thought were true, it was the way you loved based on what you knew was true. Things like that are brilliant.

Personally though, I hate reading dialogue. And large portions of this book are dialogue. Rather than discussing different views on stages of life, he sets it up as a dialogue between proponents of those views. Later he includes long portions of interviews. Ill admit this is preference, but I didn’t like it. If I want to read dialogue, I’ll read Shakespeare. Or I’ll listen to a podcast. For a book, I want his explanation.

Overall, this book is worth it for the stages of faith development. If you like reading interviews and dialogue, you might like it even more than me! But if you’re just interested in the stages, I bet there’s a more recent and better book on that.

[Krysti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given Fowler's background, it was an interesting perspective to have a theory of the stages of faith laid out as he did. It has given me a better understanding of how people are in different stages and the fluidity between them all.

[Crimson Sparrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly interesting read - at least to a psych and theology nerd like me. I was ready to skim the book, having been exposed to the stages in other venues. But the author's exploration of content, process, and case study exposed a rich framework that is lost in charts or lists. I will be reflecting on and using these concepts for the rest of my life.

[Tom the Mesa Engineer Haws · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very technical book about personal developmental stages, and I love it. I read 1/3 of it yesterday. It culminates in a theory of faith development, but on the way it surveys the preparatory or related theories of cognitive, social, and psychological development as propounded by Piaget, Erickson, and Kolberg.

Fowler helps us immensely by giving us a demonstrably universal (at least in the Western world) backdrop for framing our faith growth struggles. According to Fowler, there are 6 faith stages that lead upward to the natural culmination of faith development (whether you are a "believer" or an "unbeliever"). And most of us arrive at adulthood in stage 3, a Synthetic-Conventional faith in which we build our faith from various life sources based on a common authority esteemed by our group. Others of us arrive and persist in stage 2, a Mythic-Literal faith. Fewest of all arrive at adulthood moving to stage 4, their Individuative Faith. Over the years, we should hope, as our current faith stages prove inadequate for the new realities of our world, faith stage change is thrust upon us. Fowler hopes (saying the stages are Normative as well as Descriptive) that we may move and assist each other as we move onward to stages 5, Conjunctive Faith, and 6, Universalizing Faith.

Fowler discusses the quandary of why many institutions have learned to thrive well keeping people at Stage 3, and how in good faith they can sponsor stage growth. Fowler explores what is being done poorly and well on this front. We may say, "Who wants in their organization stage 4 adults person who no longer rely on the conventional authority?" But personally, I believe this is an important idea. Institutions can do better at helping people arrive at stage 4 in early adulthood (early twenties) so that by the time they are in thirties, the bulk of them can be happily paradoxical about their faith, and comfortably understanding about the importance of Mythic-Literal faith to children and Synthetic-Conventional faith to youngsters.

This isn't a new book. And it isn't lightweight. It is a solid academic classic by a good scientist. You will be challenged, comforted, or both by this book.

[Corey Astill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Fowler's ideas about the human stages of faith insightful and brilliant. Very descriptive of real-world journeys of faith. These ideas provide endless insights into human faith, one's own faith journey, and how to understand the (often predictable) behavior of others who occupy different stages in their own journeys. Excellent resource.

My criticism of the book centers on the fact that maybe only 1/3 of it dives deep into the Stages of Faith. The first half of the book is dedicated to a tedious literature review that I'm sure academics enjoy, but which I found boring and unnecessary. The last about 1/4 of the book careens from one tangent to another, rather than further developing useful insights from each individual stage. And, disappointingly, Fowler never continues the conversation about how to progress from one stage of faith to another. How can we achieve Stage 5 when mired in Stage 4? So many interesting questions that I would assume most readers would find fascinating.

So, 5 stars for the ideas presented, and 2 stars for the rest of the book. 4 stars total.

[Elizabeth Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most useful and enjoyable sections of the book are the actual descriptions of the stages of faith (the middle section of the book). The first sections of the book that review various theories of human development are more dry and academic. The last section, a sort of case study, went on too long for my taste and needs.
Overall, this book has helped me understand myself and others better. I will likely refer to the descriptions of the faith stages regularly.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended during a semi-formal, evening church gathering (stake fireside) about how to understand and love those who are in the midst of faith transitions. It is one of three books they recommended about stages of faith. I've also read the other two. This one is the least accessible.

I came very close to not finishing this book. I had to push myself to keep at it. It's not particularly user friendly. Much of the print is tiny. Most pages are packed with long paragraphs. The graphs are difficult to understand. The language is scientific with a lot of "big" words. This book is more of a detailing of an academic study about human spiritual development than it is for the average person.

Even so, it has very interesting parts to it. Though the title mentions the word "faith," the rest of it hints that it's more about worldview development and "the quest for meaning." The book makes it clear that many experiences, choices, and circumstances influence how we interpret this life experience. Religion does play a big part in the book, but it isn't central.

The author has some interesting things to say about this on Page 91 of the edition I read. This quote gives an idea of the breadth of the author's work and his writing style:

"Whenever I lecture or speak about faith development research I meet people who suggest that I should choose some other term to describe the focus of this work. I find the variety of substitutes they suggest interesting; I find their protests against using the word faith instructive. Several groups of critics have a deep suspicion that the concept of faith is really inseparable from religion and belief...They reject the claim that faith is a generic feature of the human struggle to find and maintain meaning and that it may or may not find religious expression. Their proposed substitutions for faith go in two directions. Those who are favorable to religion and who would like to see this kind of work be fully identified with the scientific study of religion feel that I would be more honest if I simply described it as research on religious development. On the other hand, persons who fear that the linkage of faith and religion taints or limits the usefulness of an otherwise promising body of theory urge that I take the opposite direction. They suggest the use of some more strictly secular term for our focal concern. They have proposed 'world view development,' 'belief system formation,' or, on occasion, the 'development of consciousness' as categories that would help us avoid confusion."

Phew.

I enjoyed reading the actual interview portions during each description of the stages of faith. People and their experiences are interesting. That's what kept me reading.

I'm not going to write this clearly, and may have misunderstood, but I was particularly interested in what happens during Stage 3. That's when people begin to question their childlike faith. The author said that the younger it happens the more likely a person can progress past Stage 3 into the higher, more complex stages of faith. When people are older and start questioning, they are less likely able to open their minds to more complicated aspects of meaning and belief. It's easier to abandon certain values and beliefs. I've seen this happen. I wonder why it happens.

I'm in awe of the type of people who are Stage 6 (Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr.) The book makes it clear that just because they've reached that level of development, it doesn't mean they're better or perfect. I'm sure they weren't perfect, but I definitely think they reached a higher plane. I am in awe of people who do profound work in the world.

I'm probably Stage 4 or 5. I appreciate that through my life experience and quite a bit of effort, I've moved into complexity of faith, that I can accept paradox, and that I love truth whatever its origin. I am open to questions and willing to change when it makes sense. My faith and belief systems are a useful tool that help me find peace of mind and progress in my life.

At the end of the book, there's a "faith development interview guide" that shows an outline of questions the researchers used during their interviews. I'm interested in answering the questions for myself.

Would I recommend this book? I probably wouldn't. It has some interesting insights, but I don't think it's always easy or particularly helpful for understanding others or oneself. It's a bit exhausting. So while the writing is fine, and the topic is interesting, I'm only giving it three stars because I didn't particularly enjoy it. It's a worthy read, but it is not a relaxing read.

I would be surprised if the person who recommended this book actually read it. Maybe she listened to an audio version while doing other things. I'll be interested in asking her about it.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if it was necessary to read the entire book, but I really appreciated learning about the normative stages of faith that Fowler presents here. I suppose the chapters introducing his definition of faith were also very useful, as he suggests that every person lives with faith, whether atheist or religious. I think understanding the six stages of faith will be quite helpful for me to better navigate communities where individuals are at a variety of different stages. I also found his discussion of modal developmental levels within different religious communities to be fascinating. For instance, what is the average faith stage that is supported and expected among adults within a specific religious community? He suggests that most faith communities are structured for adults at Stage 3 Synthetic-conventional faith, and he pondered how faith communities could better support and encourage continued adult development of faith. If you're interested in the stages of faith but don't feel like reading a book that is decades old, I am sure you could learn plenty through an online search of Fowler's stages of faith.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first portion is overly academic, like reading a scholarly paper on philosophy and human development. The latter part focuses on an overly long case study.

The meat of the book is section 4, which lays out the author’s theory of faith stages.

Undifferentiated faith (infancy) Identical to caregivers.
1. Intuitive-Projective faith (early childhood). Illogical and simple.
2. Mythic-literal faith (school years) Emphasis on stories and literalism.
3. Synthetic-Conventional faith (adolescence - but many people never progress beyond it) Focused on conformity, peers, and traditional authority.
4. Individuative-reflective faith (young adulthood Or 30-40s) May involve disillusionment; gain the ability to critically examine identity and outlook.
5. Conjunctive faith (midlife) Able to tolerate ambiguity and paradox; no longer bound by black and white thinking.
6. Universalizing faith (achieved by few, generally later in life) think Gandhi or MLK. Enlarged vision of a universal community and selflessly devotes to creating their utopian vision.

[Kathryn Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Program Staff at church read this together, and although it has its tedious moments (especially in the beginning), we found it helpful and informative. It led to great conversation in our meetings. Our hope is that it will continue to inform us as we work to put programs, activities, and even worship components together for our community of faith.

[Aaron Toponce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is something I've wanted to read for a while after having my faith crisis. In exmormon circles, the 6 Stages of Faith by Dr. James Fowler are well circulated, but I always felt that there were over simplified when explained, especially by Bill Reel. So when I saw that this book was available in my library, I needed to check it out, and I'm glad that I did.

First, the book is exceptionally scholarly and academic. The writing is very high level, which will cause you to read the book at a much slower pace than normal. The words can be difficult to pronounce, and worse to understand without a dictionary handy. It's partly due to this writing style, why I give it three stars. The other reason, is I feel that Dr. Fowler spends too much time talking about the theoretical psychology, and not enough time talking about the practical results. It's difficult to read, due to the vocabulary, and it's difficult to read due to the theory.

With that said, it was good to read through, and get some clarity of understanding in the 6 Stages of Faith. Before reading the book, I thought that maintaining a religion from an orthodox perspective meant "Stage 3", and breaking out of that faith meant "Stage 4". I further thought, due to Bill Reel being interviewed on a podcast, that stage 3 meant seeing the world in dichotomies, while Stage 4 meant seeing the world in multiple facets. This isn't the case at all. In fact, Stage 4 is actually when the viewpoint of faith is vary narrowly focused to dichotomies. It's Stage 5 that the multifaceted viewpoints of faith emerge.

There were other false understandings about Fowler's Stages of Faith due to Bill Reel (sorry man, but you got a lot wrong). Every transition through a Stage of Faith is traumatic. He states:

"Transitions from one stage level to another are often protracted, painful, dislocating, and/or abortive. Arrests can and do occur at any of the stages. Each stage has its proper time for ascendancy in an individual's life. Conversion is a significant recentering of one's previous conscious or unconscious images of value and power, and the conscious adoption of a new set of master stories in the commitment to reshape one's life in a new community of interpretation and action. Conversion, understood in this way, can occur in any of the faith stages, or in any of the transitions between them."

So Stage 4 is not the "traumatic stage" and Stage 5 the "peaceful stage". Every transition is painful, arresting, and discolatintg, to use Dr. Fowler's terms. Other misconceptions I had to this book, due to Bill Reel is that the stages are strictly progressive, and not digressive. This just isn't true. While the early stages of childhood (Stages 1 and 2) likely will not be revisited, aspects of Stage 3 that were once left, can be a resting point after entering Stage 4.

There's plenty more to go on, but suffice it to say, becoming exmormon, or exjw, or exscientologist, or exmuslim, or exjew, or whatever, does not mean an emergence into Stage 4 from Stage 3. Dr. Fowler gave a few examples of interviewees who changed the content of their faith, while remaining squarely in Stage 3.

Anyway, I won't go on any further. Suffice it to say, I'm glad I read the book, and didn't take Bill Reel's word for it. :)

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had heard quite a lot about Fowler's stages of faith for years, but to really get what it's about I think you have to read the book, rather than listen to people talk about it.

Skip the first half of the book. It is an academic book. If you are an academic it never entered your mind to read the first half, and you would have skipped to where he lays out his theory of the stages. The second half is worth reading. And no, the book isn't actually divided into half 1 and half 2. Just open up half way through and start reading. You'll figure it out.

Anyway, it's about the psychology of human development as far as our relation to making meaning in our lives goes, and there's a lot of academic rigor to it. But Fowler is a theologian who ended up with a very liberal Christian view, so he has that bias. Just keep that in mind.

But "faith" as used here isn't necessarily about religion or belief or God. It's about a sense of meaning and purpose, so don't sell it short if you're a humanist or agnostic, or whatever. It isn't so much about the content of faith. It's about the structure of faith for people in Western society. (He talks about how cross cultural study needs to be done at the very end. No idea whether that's happened yet.)

[Lyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

there’s too much to say about this book, i can’t really put it all into words. it’s not the most exciting or engaging book ever but it’s not supposed to be. it’s suppose to make you reflect on your own beliefs and experiences, no matter what they are.
personally, growing up around so much exposure to different religions in my childhood, i never felt really connected to any particular one.
i never considered myself as someone who followed an organized religion but i appreciated the culture and histories around each one i learned about. my relationship with islam always felt complicated, even though i appreciate my roots and do like certain aspects of the religion. this book explores these concepts and helped me put a lot of my feelings of confusion and appreciation growing up into words. it also helped me understand my own criticisms of religion and how this changes with age.
i thought the exploration of how religion is perceived later in life and how people’s philosophies change as they reach the end of the life cycle was really interesting. i will definitely remember this book and revisit parts of it throughout my life

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fowler uses stage theory (e.g. Piaget) and applies this to the faith journey. His definition of faith is sufficiently broad as to divorce it from religious language but states it can also include religious ideas. He then walks the reader, through six stages. The first three-four make a lot of sense, however with his last two stages I struggled to discern the real thread of what he was trying to say amidst his pychobabel. He even admits this in stage 5 stating he struggled to define what he was talking about. A helpful read for anyone interested in spiritual formation, however I would think there are better staging theories on faith out there.

[Ben Fredrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was introduced to this book by my good friend Dr. George Simms and I am SO thankful! I'm betting that this is worth re-reading every decade or so of life because in some ways it's value is understood through our own experiences in life.

It's not the simplest read, though. It's very theoretical at times and would benefit from a lot more real-world examples. Overall, the book has really gotten me interested in considering theories of human development and how faith development is connected with that.

[Timber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read, didn't finish.

Months ago I read a 20 page document that was written using this book and a couple other books that talk about stages of faith. That document had an incredibly profound effect on me so I was eager to read this book on the same topic. I was very disappointed. I'm not one to shy away from academic books, but this one was dry, wordy, and so unenjoyable I couldn't finish it. I skimmed and decided I'll stay with the 20 page document I love and leave this book alone.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although Fowler's 6 stages of faith that he talks about in his book are very interesting, the book is a little dry and hard to get through. I just couldn't motivate myself to finish it.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting. I have read other articles referencing this book that explains in my clearer language what the stages are and how to use them to help you in your life. I thought that reading the actual book would help me even more. It didn't. As a psychology grad, I know about human development and could read through the insane psychobabble and overly flowery language. But it doesn't mean I enjoyed it. It was like reading a textbook, but a poorly written one. It was also hard to take seriously his summation of human development, knowing that the concepts he is writing about are 40 years old and steeped in Freud. I am not a Freudian and believe he was a misogynistic sex addict whose theories are laughable and have been disproved. A book proclaiming a take on human development based on Freud's theories is automatically out of date and can't be taken seriously. While I enjoyed the understanding of faith stages and his belief that we should always be growing and improving in these stages, but there are better articles that use this theory as ground work for a more modern and comprehensive understanding of faith.

[Suphatra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost a decade ago, my father-in-law gave me this book to help me with my spiritual journey towards becoming Catholic. I let it sit on my shelf for a long time, occasionally thumbing through it. But now that my baptism is coming up in a short number of months, I sat down and finally read this book. It was a more difficult read than I was expecting -- you need a pretty strong foundation in developmental psychology to appreciate the research and psychologists he refers to -- but it was not impossible to read casually. I found myself earmarking research references of which I want to read the original source material quite a few times! I wouldn't call this an "inspiring" faith book, but more of an informative one to understand "why we need to know why" and why we seek the meaning of life, or meaning in general, in our lives. The book is broken out into Fowler's hypothesized stages of faith and they track pretty well with general developmental psychology's stages of life. A good read, but not for everyone -- best for someone who has a very deep academic interest in psychology and spirituality.

[Charlie Creech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for those wishing to become mature in any faith, religious or otherwise. This is not meant to be a quick read. This is not a bunch of ambiguous feel good teaching with flowery imagery. It is to be savored like a good meaningful conversations that penetrates to places that have not been given words to as of yet. Going past the symbols and words we use to express those places, we journey to a more precise understanding of the places and therefore of the symbols. If nothing else, it enriches one's vocabulary from the vague ambulatory that makes up modern day conversation. If you're ready for a friend that can take you to places maybe you have never gone inside yourself before, or have been to but didn't know the words to describe it, then James Fowler will take you there. And when you arrive, don't rush to leave with something else to do - savor the time there!

[Ashley Van Vonderen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really helpful to me during this kind of spiritual-intellectual crossroads I'm experiencing! It helps if you have some background in developmental psychology prior to reading- as I was able to jump around and read sections as they stood out to me without comprehension difficulty- while a friend of mine said that the theoretical text took her months to work through before she got to the stages themselves. This work really integrates the concept of Faith for spiritual, religious, and psychologically-oriented folks- as a development of self, other, and world experiencing. Wonderful reading for a creative counselor in training.

[Miguel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to stop constantly to think about what was being said in the book. Though it is thought provoking and interesting I don't believe it's complete. However I like the quote on the cover that this is an important work. I'm excited to dive deeper into where his theories are today.

I believe it does have alot of truth to it and I'd recommend this to anyone trying to understand why people believe in religion and what it's use is.

The part I didn't like is the Christian imperialism that pervades the book. He does address it and explains it but I still think it's a little ridiculous, unscientific, and irresponsible.

[Ryan Sargent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been one of the most important reads I’ve had so far. Providing a language and understanding of the underpinnings of human belief and faith. The knowledge of stages has conceptually changes how I interact with and interpret myself and others.

The language and holistic approach to the development of belief and meaning is rich. I digested this text over a six months period and extrapolated the definition of every word I didn’t recognize or fully understand and nearly filled up two journals in reflection and application. Highly recommend reading and approaching this book with an open mind.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does anyone reading this know how Fowler's developmental model has fared in the 30+ years since the book was published? There is a lot in Stages of Faith that is interesting to me, about the "stages of faith," that is, the how people have faith in contrast to the (explicit or inexplicit) content of their faith that they trust and/or distrust. But I can't help wondering, is the model itself a castle in the sky, building a great edifice that ties elements together where there are few real connections?