Fowler’s Theory of Faith Development: Understanding Prayer
Fowler’s Theory of Faith Development: Understanding Prayer
PSY 410: The Psychology of Spiritual Development
Spirituality and religion play a significant role in shaping the lives of individuals. Regardless of whether you follow the practices of an organized religion, simply believe in the spiritual life force or claim to not ascribe to religious or spiritual traditions, all of these paths affect the way an individual interacts with the world around them. One of the major influences of religion or spirituality is on one’s ability to cope with difficult situations. Whether it is the death of a loved one or the loss of a job, religion and spirituality can have monumental effects on how the individual responds to stressful or traumatic situations. However, both religion and spirituality have been placed on the backburners of the academic discourse.
Historically, the importance of spirituality and religion has taken on a variety of different meanings. The Axial Age, which emerged around the 6th century BCE, saw a new world-centric vision of human religions and human-centered spiritual values and established the foundation for a pre-modern religiously based civilization that elevated the human soul and the power of human faith. By the 18th century BCE, there was another major shift which propelled us forward into the Philosophical Age. The Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation has set the stage for an age of scientific revolution. The Enlightenment philosophers created new scientific methodologies, political ideologies, and spiritual philosophies, which diverged from the religious dogma of the past. This philosophical movement took great pride in the capabilities of the human mind and the power of human reason, which became the core foundation for this modern civilization (Richardson, 2012).
Throughout history the world has been fairly polarized, clinging to the extremes of faith or reason. However in the 21st century CE, we have seen yet another shift in
PSY 410: The Psychology of Spiritual Development
Spirituality and religion play a significant role in shaping the lives of individuals. Regardless of whether you follow the practices of an organized religion, simply believe in the spiritual life force or claim to not ascribe to religious or spiritual traditions, all of these paths affect the way an individual interacts with the world around them. One of the major influences of religion or spirituality is on one’s ability to cope with difficult situations. Whether it is the death of a loved one or the loss of a job, religion and spirituality can have monumental effects on how the individual responds to stressful or traumatic situations. However, both religion and spirituality have been placed on the backburners of the academic discourse.
Historically, the importance of spirituality and religion has taken on a variety of different meanings. The Axial Age, which emerged around the 6th century BCE, saw a new world-centric vision of human religions and human-centered spiritual values and established the foundation for a pre-modern religiously based civilization that elevated the human soul and the power of human faith. By the 18th century BCE, there was another major shift which propelled us forward into the Philosophical Age. The Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation has set the stage for an age of scientific revolution. The Enlightenment philosophers created new scientific methodologies, political ideologies, and spiritual philosophies, which diverged from the religious dogma of the past. This philosophical movement took great pride in the capabilities of the human mind and the power of human reason, which became the core foundation for this modern civilization (Richardson, 2012).
Throughout history the world has been fairly polarized, clinging to the extremes of faith or reason. However in the 21st century CE, we have seen yet another shift in
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