Reply to this thread please (lf you agree or disagree with this person, and what
ID: 3456692 • Letter: R
Question
Reply to this thread please (lf you agree or disagree with this person, and what are your thoughts)
I believe that an individual's faith development plays a crucial role in the person's development process. I think that these two types of development are interconnected and work together as the person grows and develops. The article Stages of faith and identity: birth to teens written by James W. Fowler, and Mary Lynn Dell give seven different stages in this development theory. The first stage is primal faith starting from birth to about 2 years. Projective faith is the second stage from 2 years to about 4-5 years old. Then literal faith at age 5-1oish, with the conventional faith beginning in the teens going to young adulthood. Following those stages are reflective faith, conjunctive faith, and universalizing faith. The primal faith is when the child is learning basic skills. Projective faith is where children can learn "gross motor, fine motor, and cognitive development are intertwined processes related to the maturation timetables of the central and peripheral nervous systems" (pg.3). Literal faith is where motor and cognitive abilities are fully developed, and they can decide to believe or not. Conventional faith is the stage where teens begin to form their beliefs and choose their actions based on their peer's values (pg.6). The reflective faith is when a person rethinks what they believe to be true to determine their identity Conjunctive faith is a time when other religions and cultures can be explored where people can learn new traditions. The universalizing faith is where a person begins to live out their faith and as the authors state "they are exceptional in the strength of their yearnings that all creation should manifest God's goodness and that all humanity be one in peace" (pg. 9).I agree with the seven stages they proposed in the article. Growing up I went to Christian schools and went to church every Sunday. By the time I reached middle school I had the wisdom for myself to decide what I wanted to believe. Everyone hits a point in their life when they get to decide for themselves.Explanation / Answer
I also agree with you. Every person has some time to decide what they want in thier life, that will come only when they think they are capable enough to handle everything and also have some spiritual thoughts which will make them feel complete. These 7 stages of life described here almost coincide with regular person's life and this is really useful for them to follow these and feel as a complete human.