Customer Reviews

Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian : Adult Development and Christian Faith

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According to M. Scott Peck's endorsement of Fowler's scholarly Stages of Faith, Fowler is the leader in faith develoment theory. In _Becoming Adult_, Fowler describes, in simpler, accessible language, the stages of faith and how they relate to emotional development. Fowler summarizes the work of Erik Erikson and two other prominent developmental theorists, and compares his stages to theirs. Fowler's summarization of these theorists' views is very helpful. Students of Erik Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development will appreciate this book very much. Despite the book's title and Fowler's Christian faith, the book is surprisingly non-Christian in orientation, and applies to faith development in general. Examples used in the book span many faith traditions. The chapters on vocation and divine calling are interesting, thought provoking, and insightful. For the reader seeking for models of normal, healthy spiritual and emotional development, this easy to read (but not simplistic) book is an excellent seminal volume in the personal library

Fowler answers critics of his earlier writing, Stages of Faith, with a more inclusive view of what constitutes faith maturity. He acknowledges the more relational approach of women may be as valid to determine maturity as the predominately male model from his previous work. Research by feminist scholars, such as Carol Gilligan are inculded for a more comprehensive view of the markers indicating maturity. Fowler also offers greater recognition of the work of the Holy Spirit within each stage to encourage movement toward trainsitions needed for deeper maturity.

I believe that this work and his previous "Stages of Faith" constitute some of the most important and potentially culture changing works of our time. Some day these works by Fowler will be embraced by more of the church and will aid its effort to help people make progress along their own spiritual journeys.

As I read this book and reflected upon my own life, I sensed a deep resonance with most of the stages of faith that Fowler outlined. The truth of the book was confirmed in remembering my own development. Once this resonance occurs for someone, the greater value of the book will be in discovering what higher levels of faith may lay ahead. At this point the book can serve as an invaluable guide to spiritual growth.

I believe that the real answer to the world's most difficult conflicts is the growing interest in and effort to grow spiritually. When a person grows from egocentric, to ethnocentric, and then eventually to worldcentric awareness and beyond, rather than being a source of dissonance and human confrontation, they become a source of Unconditional Love and Harmony. Fowler's works aid those whose ego-shells have been cracked enough to let in a little light and will help them move toward a greater peace and harmony.

This is a summary of Fowler's theory of the development of faith, and it reflects the clarity and completeness of an idea that has matured and been shaken down to the basics. Also,the discussion of vocation in the last chapters is inspirational and well articulated.

Fowler's Faith Development Theory is commonly being used to describe Christian spiritual growth. Yet, when it was first formulated, Fowler described faith as `seeking meaning in our lives' and universal, thus not limited to Christianity. This theory, which arise out of Piaget's cognitive and Kohlberg's moral development theories are descriptive and did not take into consideration the supernatural/spiritual.

This book was Fowler's attempt to reconcile his development theory to the Christian theological concept of salvation and sanctification. His approach to integrate this is by the concept of vocation which `is the response a person makes with his or her total self to the address of God and to the calling to partnership'. He defined this partnership as synergy between the human potential and the work of the Spirit which he called `grace'. Fowler defined blockage to this synergy as sin and unblocking this synergy as salvation. The aim of this partnership is `in God's work in the world' which Fowler elaborated as partnership with God the Creator, with the governing action of God and in the liberative and redemptive action of God. However, what Fowler was describing are a series of behavioural pattern. Any description of spiritual growth must include a new creation, inner transformation and fruit of the Holy Spirit. One needs to differentiate between descriptors and contents.

Fowler then went on to describe vocation, relationship of vocation and Christian communities and the Christian story. While I agree that our vocation is a call by God for His purpose, I do wish Fowler had explained how the different stages of his theory can be directly linked to the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross, justification by faith and the work of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us into Christian maturity (Christ-likeness). In the final chapter, he did try again to integrate spiritual maturity and development theories but surprisingly, he used Levinson's seasons of life theory instead of his own. In the end, Fowler did not give a clear picture of the integration of his faith development theory and theology.

I was hoping that this book would be more basic in the approach to faith development, but it read like a thesis. He interacted with many of the leading voices, but I was too new to this study to engage completely. There are some helpful elements, but unless you are well versed in this field, the book will be over your head.

This book is definitely academic. Perhaps not as academic as Fowler's other books in that it seems ostensibly to be written for layperson, student or educator. However, (and I write this as an academic myself) Fowler seems unable to break free of the academic genre. The book reads like fellow academics were the audience in mind. The standard dance of academic writing is engaged in, everything meticulously argued out using the language of the discipline. All fine and good, but it might tend to lose the layperson. It certainly lost me. Fowler eventually gets to the point, that the key to finding our vocation lies not within us, in our own hopes, desires and needs, but in the faith (and wider) community to which we belong. We need to be outward looking rather than inward looking to find our true vocation. What I said in the last sentence takes Fowler a whole chapter to say. At times I thought he was spinning it out to knock a book out of it, but I genuinely think he can't break out of the mould of the academic writing genre. Nonetheless, I'm glad I read this book, as despite its form, its content is a message worth hearing.

I recently purchased "Becoming Adult Becoming Christian" based on my exposure to Fowler's earlier book, "Stages of Faith." I've only begun to get into this book because it is so thorough and fascinating that it's slow going. Well written, insightful and captivating material like this deserves more than a speedy page-flipping approach. Consequently, it will be some time before I've processed this book well enough to write a proper review. So far: it's terrific.

This was a great resource in my college studies and my college aged children have read it for personal reference. Quoted in many of other readings I've done on Christian worldviews.

Fowler's book contains some of the best material on Christian vocation available. His complex writing style can be both frustrating and fun.