Conjunctive Faith: A Critique and Analysis from an Evangelical Perspective
Abstract
The question of whether evangelical Christian faith content can fit into 'Conjunctive Faith' structure is prompted by J.W. Fowler's book 'Stages of faith: The psychology of human development and the quest for meaning' which proposes 6 stages of faith development, Conjunctive Faith being faith stage 5. Fowler suggests that faith is a human endeavor and deals with how a person believes (structure) rather than what a person believes (content), and that this faith develops in 6 invariant, sequential, and universal stages. Evangelicals do not take issue with Fowler until faith stage 5 which suggests that the person at this stage of development will hold doctrinal truth claims (content) to be relative. At face value, faith stage 5 would exclude evangelical participation in the higher faith stages since the absolute nature of cardinal doctrines would, be definition, be called into question. Yet, many features of Conjunctive Faith commend themselves to the evangelical, so summary rejection of faith stage 5 would be inappropriate. To test the acceptability of Conjunctive Faith to evangelicals it was decided to compare evangelical content to faith stage 5 structure. Applications of the 'evangelically defined' faith stage 5 is examined with emphasis placed the ministry fo the US Navy Chaplain Corps which presently exhibits qualities consistent with the proposed rewording of Conjunctive Faith. This ministry practices a form of pluralism that emphasizes cooperation, but does not require relativizing of content nor relinquishing exclusivistic truth claims.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA225160
Entities
People
- Kenneth V. Botton