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FORUM ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: Human Development - Spiritual Development - Heroic Development
| ....... FORUM ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: Human Development - Spiritual Development - Heroic Development |
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Spiritual Development
______________________ Review of EduServe Forum program presentation of Bishop Arthur Freeman, Ph.D* entitled "Fire in the Heart: The Spiritual Formation of Persons" Reprinted here from EduServe Excellence, Vol. 1, No. 1, January, 2000 Copyright 2000 EduServe, Inc. Edited, reprinted, & copyrighted 2009 by EduServe, Inc. All Rights Reserved. _____________ Drawing upon multiple spiritual traditions and contemporary sciences, Bishop Arthur Freeman, Christian theologian and author, discussed the subject of spiritual development at EduServe Forum. Freemen explored the nature and stages of faith development and the relationship of faith to physical well-being. "Fire in the heart is an ancient symbol of the presence of God," Bishop Freeman stated. "The soul and spirit transcend the limits of life. Whether we are fortunate or unfortunate in the world, God loves us all," he said. "God does not judge us as to our development. Life is a bridge to God. When life in its hardness is faced with this awareness, it is less difficult. This explains why people with faith can transcend illnesses and/or setbacks more readily than those without faith." Freeman added that faith may be viewed from the perspectives of: content (what is believed), personality type of the believer, functional aspect of faith (the ways faith functions in the various stages of human development), and structural aspect of faith (the ways in which we have faith according to the stages of our cognitive development, influences of family, community, individual understanding, etc.). Conversion may be seen as primarily a change or shift in the contents of faith, while the functional and structural aspects of faith may be seen in relation to life stages and development. Freeman indicated the following stages, according to James Fowler's book, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning (Harper & Row, 1981): Intuitive-Projective Faith, ages 3-7. The "fantasy-filled, imitative phase in which a child can be powerfully and permanently influenced by examples, moods, actions and stories of the visible faith of primal related adults." Mythic-Literal Faith, ages 7-12. The "person begins to take on for him/herself the stories, beliefs and observances that symbolize belonging to his or her community." Synthetic-Conventional "conformist" stage, atuned to the judgment of significant others, dependent upon one's understanding of faith and the faith development allowed within a tradition, the life experiences which produce growth and provide new experience, and the resolution of early life issues which give one the personal freedom to grow. Individuative-Reflective Faith in which one takes responsibility for his or her own commitments, lifestyle, beliefs, and attitudes, dealing with individuality versus group influence, subjectivity and feelings versus objectivity, self-fulfillment versus being for others. A capacity for critical reflection is developed. Conjunctive Faith involving "the integration into self and outlook of much that was suppressed or unrecognized in the interest of Stage 4's (Individuative-Reflective) self-certainty and conscious cognitive and affective adaptation to reality." One's past is reworked and reclaimed. Personal depths are plumbed. This is frequently connected with working through the "mid-life crisis." Universalizing Faith stage described by Fowler as "exceedingly rare," who said, "The persons best described by it have generated faith compositions in which their felt sense of an ultimate environment is inclusive of all being. They have become incarnators and actualizers of the spirit of an inclusive and fulfilled human community." They are open to relationships with persons and traditions other than their traditions and representing other faith stages. Bishop Freeman also advanced and discussed a "Diagram of Factors of Human Existence and Formation" in which he provided spatial and verbal descriptions of his perceptions of the "spiritual world" and the "created world (where we live)," in relation to the human person. The diagram contained references to "good" and "evil," powers, forces, systems, people, organisms, conscious and unconscious, and other entities that influence the spiritual formation of people, thereby introducing to participants a larger landscape of factors that influence human spiritual development. The person, Freeman stated, is not only affected by his or her world, but also engages and influences it "by the power of one's own life." He explained, "An eternal self which comes from God and returns to God makes us more than can be described from our physical appearance, psychological life, and personal history." There is a consciousness and an unconsciousness, an ego-center of self-awareness, identity and control, as well as the parts of personal experience that our human consciousness may disassociate from, along with the structures of inherited psyche deposited by the history of human experience. _________________________________________ * Arthur Freeman, Ph.D. is Bishop of the Moravian Church, an author of articles and book, and former professor at Moravian Theological Seminary for 34 years. (The above review was prepared in part from his distributed presentation notes.) "Spiritual Development" is reprinted here from EduServe Excellence, Vol. 1, No. 1, January, 2000, pp. 3-4. Edited, reprinted, and copyrighted 2009 by EduServe, Inc. _____________________________ EduServe “Excellence” is an interdisciplinary, nonpartisan, nonsectarian publication of EduServe, Inc. The purpose of this publication is to provide a substantive review of selected EduServe programs and topics relative to EduServe’s mission in the public interest. Permission is hereby granted to quote and/or reprint for non-commercial purposes, in whole or in part, any of the content included herein, provided that (1) copyright information remains intact, and (2) author and/or editor, and publication are credited. __________________________________________________________ Legal Terms . Ethics . Privacy Copyright 1998-2010 EduServe, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.EduServeInc.com/Publications/Excellence/Spiritual Development Sample EduServe Forum Programs / Search Index / Chapel / Home / Welcome / Contents / Programs & Services Menu |
 EduServe Excellence quarterly review Vol. 1, No. 1, January, 2000 Copyright 2000. Edited, reprinted, and copyrighted 2009 by EduServe, Inc. All Rights Reserved. EduServe Excellence quarterly review Vol. 1, No. 1, January, 2000 Copyright 2000. Edited, reprinted, and copyrighted 2009 by EduServe, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |