Stages of Faith: How Children Begin to Believe

Culture and wisdom, generations, philosophy, scientific knowledge, spirituality and personal transformation… all of these are part of who you are. As human beings on your journey to become your best possible self, you have to integrate all the mechanisms of your outer and inner universe. And the best way to do that is to learn about and experience all that is enlightening and spiritual… find out as much as you can about how to be a whole, content person with many successes and hopes for the future.

Human beings, in my opinion, rarely fall into the specific categories or groupings to which scientists often assign them by age or gender. However, epistemology, the study of knowledge and how we acquire what we learn, is fascinating with respect to what we can ‘know’ about our own spirituality and when we can know ourselves as multi-dimensional moral beings. The ways in which human beings become spiritual persons has been the focus of families and individuals and the subject of study since the birth of language. Psychologists and developmental researchers have crafted epistemological theories about human learning and personal growth for over a century. James W. Fowler,[1] a developmental psychologist and author, has expanded the theories of others in his field to encompass faith development. His work helps us look at ourselves.

Fowler, in his book Stages of Faith, has created a study of the progression and maturity of faith; the described stages relate to the wisdom and understanding people gain as they experience and contemplate the universe. Although individuals don’t stick to a schedule as they become who they are and will be, Fowler’s stages offer insight into how spirituality develops. For example, at Stage 0 called ‘Undifferentiated Faith’ children under 2 (approximately) relate their experiences with caregivers to faith and the fairness in God’s universe. “Our pre-images of God have their origins here” (121). Significantly, children who experience neglect or the threat of abandonment, according to Fowler, may be locked in patterns of isolation which will affect their faith development.

Stage 1 called ‘Intuitive-Projective Faith’ grows as children move into their school years. It is “the fantasy-filled, imitative phase in which the child can be powerfully and permanently influenced by examples, moods, actions and stories of the visible faith of primarily related adults” (133). My contention that reading an actual Bible is tremendously valuable has its roots in this level of spiritual maturity. As Fowler insists, “The useful realism of fairy tales -and of many biblical narratives- provides indirect yet effective ways for children to externalize their inner anxieties and to find ordering images and stories by which to begin to shape their lives” (130). It was probably during this time when we first heard the story of Abraham and the binding of Isaac:

Then God said: "Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you." (Genesis 22:2)

Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the holocaust and laid it on his son Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife.

As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. "Father!" he said. "Yes, son," he replied. Isaac continued, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the holocaust?"

"Son," Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust." Then the two continued going forward.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up his son Isaac, and put him on top of the wood on the altar.

Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

But the LORD'S messenger called to him from heaven, "Abraham, Abraham!" "Yes, Lord," he answered.

"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger. "Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."

As Abraham looked about, he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So he went and took the ram and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.

Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh; hence people now say, "On the mountain the LORD will see."

(Genesis 22:6-14)

In Stage 1, we understand the story to mean that God tested Abraham’s devotion by asking him to sacrifice his son. Abraham passes this test, and his son is saved. The lesson in this passage is easily understood: sometimes God tests us, and we must always do the right thing to remain in God’s favor.

If you wish to learn more about the Stages of Faith as described by Fowler, see the link below:

[1] James W. Fowler, Stages of Faith (New York: Harper & Row, 1981).