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Presented By : Faizah
James Fowler’s
An American theologian who was Professor of
Theology and Human Development at Emory
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 the United Methodist Church.
Fowler is best known for his book Stages of Faith,
published in 1981, in which he sought to develop the
idea of a developmental process in "human faith".
James William Fowler III
(October 12, 1940– October 16, 2015)
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Fowler’s S
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Fowler’s Stages of Faith Development form a framework for
the spiritual development of people throughout their lives.
The model was developed by theologian James W. Fowler
He argues that the development of people’s spiritual
awareness runs parallel to other aspects of human
development.
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James Fow
Faith
Faith is about making meaning in our lives. Human try to
order our lives, understand its meaning anad purpose. Faith
is abput answering these “big questions”
Faith is more personal than religious affiliation. We may
develop our faith within a religion, but religion is different
from faith. everyone has faith whereas not everyone may
be religious
Faith includes more than the cognitive element of belief but
is more wholistic and pervasive in our lives.
The 7 stages product
breakdown structure
James Fowler describes faith as the universal quality of human
meaning making.
He argues that faith is the underlying meaning-making process
used by all people, regardless of which faith plays a role in
people’s lives.
Faith therefore occurs at all times and with everyone.
People also put their trust in money, family, religion or power.
Fowler’s stages of faith development describe the process in
which this happens in seven phases
Stage 0: Undifferentiated
Faith
Stage 0 starts from birth to about the second year of life. A child
at this stage learns to trust the goodness or badness of the world
based on the way the child is treated by his parents.
The baby should develop a sense of security, consistency and
confidence at this stage. These feelings later translate into
feelings of trust and security in the universe and the divine.
Conversely, situations of neglect or abuse can lead to the
formation of feelings of distrust and fear of the universe and the
divine. In many cases this forms the seed for later doubt and fear
or existence on earth.
This phase corresponds to Jean Piaget’s sensory-motor phase.
Stage 1: Intuitive-Projective
Faith
Stage 1, the second stage, is the stage where children begin to use
symbols and their imagination. This phase starts where stage 0
ends and continues until about the seventh year of life.
Children at this stage are very self-centered and tend to take
ideas about right and wrong very literally. The ability to distinguish
real from fantasy is not yet well developed. Also, they are
generally not yet able to see the world from another person’s
perspective. Robert Keeley writes about this: children cannot think
like a scientist, cannot consider logical arguments and think
through and elaborate complex ideas.
Stage 1: Intuitive-Projective
Faith
Children in this phase are therefore not yet able to develop a
formalized religious faith.
Faith at this stage is experiential and develops primarily through
hearing stories, images, and the influence of others. An awareness
of what is right and wrong also develops in this stage.
This stage ties in with Jean Piaget’s pre-operational phase.
Stage 2: Mythic-Literal Faith
The second stage starts around the sixth or seventh year of life
and continues until about the twelfth year of life. In this stage,
information is organized into stories and together with moral rules
are concretely understood by the child. There is still little ability to
distance yourself from a story and formulate an overarching
meaning.
Justice and fairness are seen as reciprocal. Some people stay in
this phase their whole lives.
Stage 3: Synthetic-Conventional
Faith
Stage three starts from about age 12 to age eighteen. This stage is
characterized by young adults’ identification with a religious
institution, belief system, or authority. Personal religion or
spirituality also takes a growth spurt.
Conflicts can also begin to arise at this stage. However, these are
often ignored because they threaten a person’s identity, which is,
after all, based in large part on faith.
What were once simple and compelling stories is now seen as a
cohesive story of values and morals. In this stage, children
develop the ability to think abstractly and see layers of meaning
Stage 3: Synthetic-Conventional
Faith
What were once simple and compelling stories is now seen as a
cohesive story of values and morals. In this stage, children
develop the ability to think abstractly and see layers of meaning
in the stories, rituals, and symbols of their faith
Stage 4: Individuative-Reflective
Faith
Stage 4 is called individuative-reflective and runs from the midtwenties to late thirties. This stage is characterized by fear and
struggle as the person takes responsibility for his or her beliefs
and feelings.
Robert Keeley argues that for generations people have
experienced cognitive dissonance with real questions of faith that
are addressed in this phase.
Stage 4: Individuative-Reflective
Faith
People in these stages begin to question their own assumptions.
In addition to questioning their assumptions about faith, they also
begin to question existing authority structures within their faith.
That’s when someone turns their backs on their religious
community. That’s the only solution when they don’t get their
questions answered
Stage 5: Conjunctive Faith
This phase is also known as the time of the midlife crisis. A person
at this stage recognizes that there are paradoxes and mysteries
attached to the transcendent values and norms of faith.
As a result, a person goes beyond the traditional beliefs that he or
she has inherited from the earlier stages of faith development.
That simply means that the difficult questions and struggles from
the previous phase give way to a more comfortable place.
Answers to some of the hard questions have been found and the
person feels good knowing that some answers are just not easy to
find.
Stage 5: Conjunctive Faith
Whereas in previous phases self-reflection was central, this phase
makes way for an awareness of the importance of communities in
faith development. People will therefore not soon give up their
faith, partly because of the social status they have built up in the
community.
Many people who have reached this stage are beginning to
become more and more open to the religions and beliefs of other
people. This is not because they distance themselves from their
own faith, but because they believe that the faith of others can
inform, deepen and enrich their own
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Daniel Levi
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Daniel Levi
Born in 1920
Known as a developmental psychologist
Pioneer in research, theory and the developmental stages and
crises of adulthood
Highly influenced by Erik Erikson’s theory about psychological
development (1959)
Studied at Harvard and Yale, alongside Allport and Erikson for 12
years
Written many articles and books based on the theory of adult
development
Died in 1994
Early Adult Transition Period
https://www.psychologydiscussion.net/theory/levinsonstheory/levinsons-theory-stages-of-adult-life-human-developmentpsychology/13594
Early Adult Transition Period
Levinson divides our adult years into four major eras, each separated
from the next by a transition period. As you can see, the first
transition occurs between the pre-adult eras, the time before we are
adults, and early adulthood. Taking place between the ages of
seventeen and twenty-two, this transition involves establishing one’s
independence, both financial and emotional. It is marked by such
events as establishing a separate residence and learning to live on
one’s own.
Early Adult Transition Period
Once this first transition is complete, individuals enter early
adulthood. Two key components of their life structure at this time are
what Levinson terms the dream and the mentor. The dream is a
vision of future accomplishments, what the person hopes to achieve
in the years ahead. Mentors are older and more experienced
individu­als who help guide young adults. Both the dream and the
mentor play an important part in our early adult years.
Early Adult Transition Period
At about age thirty, Levinson suggests, many people experience what
he terms the age thirty transition. At this time individuals realize that
they are nearing the point of no return. If they remain in their present
life course, they will soon have too much invested to change. Faced
with this fact, they reexamine their initial choices and either make
specific changes or conclude that they have indeed chosen the best
course.
Early Adult Transition Period
Now, after the relative calm of the closing years of early adult­hood,
individuals move into another potentially turbulent transitional period
—the midlife transition. For most people this occurs somewhere
between the ages of forty and forty-five. It is a time when many
people must come to terms for the first time with their own mortality.
Up until this period, most people view themselves as “still young.”
After age forty, however, many come to view themselves as the older
generation.
Early Adult Transition Period
Levinson’s findings suggest that for many persons this realization
leads to a period of emotional turmoil. They take stock of where they
have been the success of their past choices, and the possibility of
reaching their youthful dreams. This leads to the formation of a new
life structure, one that takes account of the individual’s new position
in life and may involve new elements such as a change in career
direction, divorce, or a redefinition of one’s relationship with one’s
spouse.
Early Adult Transition Period
Many persons experience another period of transition between ages
fifty and fifty-five, a transition in which they consider modifying their
life structure once again, for example, by adopting a new role in their
career or by coming to view themselves as a grandparent as well as
a parent. However, this transition is often less dramatic than one that
occurs somewhere between the ages of sixty and sixty-five. This lateadult transition marks the close of the middle years and the start of
late adulthood.
Early Adult Transition Period
During this transition, individuals must come to terms with their
impending retirement and the major life changes it will bring. As they
move through this period of readjustment, their life structure shifts to
include these changes. For example, they may come to see
themselves as persons whose working career is over or almost over,
and who will now have much more leisure time to pursue hobbies
and other interests.
Early Adult Transition Period
Levinson’s model
https://flexbooks.ck12.org/user:coachtgj/cbook/episdsociology/section/7.1/primary/lesson/early-and-middleadulthood/
Early Adult Transition Period
Levinson’s first adult stage in his model is called the Early Adult
Transition Period. This phase is similar to Erikson’s psychological
theory in that both concerns the young adult’s identity crisis or
role confusion. It is during this phase that the young adult first
gains independence (financial or otherwise) and leaves the
home. This is a transitional stage because it marks the end of
adolescence and the beginning of adulthood.
stable period
The second stage would be a stable period because it marks the
time where the adult must pick a role, establish goals and build a
life structure. This stage provides the young adult with any roles
and choices for their future. Levinson believes that it is during this
time that the young person dreams of his future success in a
career, family life and status. Levinson also believes that the
presence of a mentor or older teacher is a great influence in
guiding the person through the obstacles in their career paths.
the Age 30 transition
The third stage, which can be divided into two parts, is called the
Age 30 transition. The first part of this phase deals with when the
young adult reflects on their career and past successes and also
plans for future success and status in their career as well as
making plans in starting a family and settling down.
In Levinson’s own words, the Age 30 transition “provides an
opportunity to work on the flaws and limitations of the first adult
life structure and to create the basis for a new and more
satisfactory structure with which to complete the era of early
adulthood.” (Levinson, 1977) This Age 30 transition parallels
Erikson’s autonomy versus shame and doubt stage which Erikson
applies to toddlers.
down stage
The second part of the Age 30 transition period is the settling
down stage. It is in this stage that the person feels a need to
establish a role in society, whether in their career or their family
life, whichever is the most central part of their life structure.
This Age 30 transition parallels Erikson’s autonomy versus shame
and doubt stage which Erikson applies to toddlers. The second
part of the Age 30 transition period is the settling down stage. It is
in this stage that the person feels a need to establish a role in
society, whether in their career or their family life, whichever is the
most central part of their life structure.
Becoming One’s Own Man or BOOM phase
The fourth phase of Levinson’s model is called Becoming One’s
Own Man or BOOM phase. In this stage, the man feels constrained
by the authority figures in their world.
The individual wants more independence, authority and to be true
to their own voice. With this larger amount of authority, there
comes a greater amount of responsibility and burden.
This is also a time of conflict as the person struggles with the
notion of becoming an established adult and leaving behind the
flaws of the early adult they once were.
Becoming One’s Own Man or
BOOM phase
Levinson uses the phrase “breaking out” to describe the adult’s
radical change in life structure.
The conflict in this stage is the beginning of the major transitional
period in life called the mid-life transition.
Becoming One’s Own Man or
BOOM phase
In the Mid-life transition, which Levinson believes to last from age
40 to 45, the adult faces a crucial point in their development.
Much soul searching and reflecting is done during this phase. The
adults question their past life structures and accomplishments
and reevaluate their goals.
There are very few adults, according to Levinson, that find this
mid-life stage difficult.
The painful process of the mid-life transition stage results in a
drastically different life structure with new goals within it.
Becoming One’s Own Man or
BOOM phase
Even if an adult chooses not to change their life structure, they
must still reappraise their life and recommit themselves on
different terms to their old choices.
This troubling transitional phase does, according to Levinson,
have beneficial results. Levinson believes that “the life structure
that emerges in the middle 40s varies greatly in its
satisfactoriness…”(Levinson, 1977).
Levinson also states that for some, the outcome of this transition
provides the person with fulfillment and a better direction.
Levinson’s model
Levinson’s model emphasizes that development of life structures
is a continuous life process.
In the stages which follow the mid-life transition are not focused
on, but Levinson does state that the mid-life transition is not the
last opportunity for growth and change.
He believes there are later transitional periods in late adulthood
as well. He states that “as long as life continues, no period marks
the end of the opportunities, and the burdens of further
development.” (McAdams and Levinson, 1977)
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