1. 6 STAGES OF FAITH
James Fowler

2. Stage 1 - Imaginative Faith (birth to 7 years)
Characteristics:
Positive images are healthy
Friendly, welcoming God like dependable parent
Fearful images are dangerous: children associate God the Father with their father who may be nice or NOT nice

3. Stage 2 - Literal faith (7-early teens)
Characteristics:
storytelling (pass on faith story)
believed as literally or historically true
God rewards and punishes
bargaining stage, e.g. exams, illness. etc.

4. Stage 3 - Group Faith (teens to mid-20’s)
Characteristics:
*group influence
*conform to values and expectations of group
*unquestioning belief of group view
*can discourage personal responsibility

5. Stage 4 - Personal Faith (mid-20’s and older)
Characteristics:
personal responsibility for beliefs
time of tension sometimes with friends, family and Church leaders searching for truth
answers not always clear-cut (there are lots of gray areas)

6. Stage 5 – Mystical Faith (age is no longer a factor)
Characteristics:
communion with God
awareness of God’s inner presence
recognition of community of all people
challenge and improve structure
belief that “God is with me at all times therefore life is intrinsically holy by nature”
most of us can do get to this level

7. Stage 6 - Sacrificial Faith
Characteristics:
identification with truth and justice
Jesus, Gandhi, Romero, etc.
radical commitment with no regard for personal status or security
not many people get here but there may be traces in us, e.g. parent attitudes.