Answer to Question #205921 in Psychology for Anne

Question

Based on your knowledge of Fowlers' stage theory,adolescent's religious development centres around stages2 and 3. Explain why this is so.

Answer 1

Stage 2 – Mythic-Literal Faith (Ages 7-12). Holds that children at this stage have a belief in justice and fairness in religious matters, a sense of reciprocity in the workings of the universe (e.g. doing good will result in a good result, doing bad will cause a bad thing to happen) and an anthropomorphic image of God (e.g. a man with a long white beard who lives in the clouds). Religious metaphors are often taken literally thus leading to misunderstandings.

Stage 3 – “Synthetic-Conventional” Faith (Ages 12 to Adult). This stage is characterized by the identification of the adolescent/adult with a religious institution, belief system, or authority, and the growth of a personal religious or spiritual identity. Conflicts that occur when one’s beliefs are challenged are often ignored because they represent too much of a threat to one’s faith-based identity.

Adolescents, therefore, may develop deeper understanding and appreciation of the religions in which they were raised, in part because of their active exploration of that faith as well as alternative value systems, or they may adopt religious views and values that differ from those of their parents and childhood religious