Volume 67, Issue 4  

Fowler Lectures at Yeshiva

by Alex Grange

October 22nd – James Fowler, renowned Professor of Theology and Human Development from Emory University, delivered a lecture to Yeshiva’s students, psychology professionals, and members of the faculty.  The address focused on the topic of his most recent book, Stages of Faith, which discusses the psychology underlying faith and religion.

Fowler gave a one-hour, debate intensive lecture to students in of Yeshiva’s Psychology and Religion class, who are currently studying his most recent book.  Though class members were given seated first, the lecture was open to the public.  

The topic of discussion segued from the class discussion immediately prior to the event.  Fowler’s proposed theory intimately follows human development from infancy to mid-life and beyond.  It deals with the process by which people perceive both themselves and the world around them. 

The first step, which Fowler refers to as primal faith, involves an individual’s developing a sense of trust with the world around him. Stage two, which he calls intuitive-projective faith, sees the imagination suddenly expand to the point that it becomes virtually unhindered by logic; in essence, the world of stories and fantasies is not yet distinct from reality.  

Fowler then went on to describe the third stage, otherwise known as mythic-literal faith, which is an iconoclastic phase where logic begins to infuse meaning and order into the world displacing its “magical” mythos. 

At this point, an abrupt side discussion broke out.  Fowler voiced concern over the myriad random acts of violence our children are exposed to on television during their developmental stage.  Audience members objected to this idea, asserting that many of the fairy tales, such as the Brothers Grim, depicted similar violent acts, but were, nonetheless, condoned. 

Fowler clarified his earlier statements by claiming that fairy tales often include moral content that is virtually absent from today’s cartoons.  He further contended that the visual content of cartoons is more disruptive than a child’s own imagined depiction of a spoken fairy tale.

After the cartoon debate subsided, Fowler addressed stage four – the synthetic-conventional faith, wherein individuals begin to think about thinking.  Self-perception facilitates a conscious identity, and one also begins to unite in strong emotional bonds with others.

Stages five, six, and seven, Fowler said, are not always reached, primarily because these stages deal with the progression from a self-centered perception of reality to a global and selfless outlook.  Individuals in these stages concentrate on society as a whole, life’s contradictions, as well as overcoming division, oppression, and violence.  

Students in attendance were impressed by Fowler’s extensive knowledge.  According to Yeshiva College senior Anthony Wexler, “Fowler presents an interesting model that leaves room for flexibility in developing one’s own interpretation [of the theory].”

Ikey Tawil, a Yeshiva College senior, explained his reasons for going. “I went to get a first hand perspective of the topic after studying [the book] in class.  The class gives me a better understanding of the psychological aspects behind religion.”

Many students, like Yeshiva College sophomore Dadi Saiman, attended the lecture despite their unfamiliarity with the subject.  Faculty members such as Professor of Philosophy Rabbi Shalom Carmy and Associate Professor of English Dr. Will Lee also found time to attend the lecture, noting that they found it to be quite stimulating.

Carmy and Lee stayed for a while even after the lecture concluded and discussed Fowler’s theories, specifically the way in which the theories relate to their own religious philosophies.  Lee noted, “It is fascinating to see psychological stage theory applied to religious content.”  He went on to say, “I think Fowler’s presence was good for YC students because it enabled them to hear a thinker who emerges from a different tradition and who is trying to reach a level of generality about religious growth that includes Judaism, Christianity, and other religions.” 

Fowler is Director of the Center for Ethics at Emory.  The Center attempts to develop the moral imagination of twenty-first century leaders and deals with bioethics, environmental ethics, and the general means of helping the ethical development of Emory students and faculty.

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