Fowler's Stages of Faith: Stage 0

Stage 0 is also known as the 'Intuitive-Projective' Faith stage.

According to Fowler, experiences of parental neglect and abuse during Stage 0 can result in feelings of trust and assurance in the universe.

Children at Stage 1 have acquired language and the ability to work with symbols to express thoughts.

At Stage 1, children develop formalized religious beliefs.

Primal Undifferentiated Faith occurs between the ages of 3-7.

Experiencing a sense of consistency and care from parents contributes to feelings of trust and assurance in the universe during Stage 0.

Mythic-Literal Faith is typically developed in adolescence.

At the Mythic-Literal Faith stage, children may have a belief in justice and fairness in religious matters.

Mythic-Literal Faith is characterized by a mature and nuanced understanding of religious metaphors.

Individuals at the Synthetic-Conventional Faith stage often ignore conflicts that challenge their beliefs because they represent a threat to their faith-based identity.

Individuative-Reflective Faith typically occurs during mid-twenties to late thirties.

Individuals at the Conjunctive Faith stage typically do not acknowledge paradoxes and mysteries related to transcendent values.

Universalizing Faith is achieved by individuals in early adulthood.

At the Mythic-Literal Faith stage, children may have an anthropomorphic image of God, such as a man with a long white beard who lives in the clouds.

Individuals at the Synthetic-Conventional Faith stage have conflicts that are often addressed and resolved due to their open-mindedness.

Stage 6 – Universalizing Faith (or Enlightenment) is rarely achieved by individuals.