What are stages of religion's development?

[sidetrack]

This seems like a question for one of my friend in anthropology but since I cant ask him right now I’ll just ask you guys.I’m not sure in what like social science but I’ve heard that there are stages in the development of a religion.I’m guessing this pans from the time it’s just the life principles for understanding reality made by some primitive people with maybe some interpretative rituals thrown in to the the stage where it can be institution with highly intricate philosophy that way more then just expository narratives like with the Church in Catholicism.Does anyone know what the stags are called?.

 

[mommyof4]

americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1087.asp

Maybe this article will help.

1. Imaginative faith
   Until around age seven a child's faith can be expected to be highly imaginative. A host of different and sometimes conflicting images of God, the world and the hereafter fill children's minds at this stage. God may be the ever-loving, ever-present, grandfather figure somewhere in the sky, or perhaps the exacting mother or father seemingly impossible to please. A child's faith is "healthy" at this stage if the images that fill his or her mind are positive ones that picture the world as a friendly, welcoming place and God as a loving, dependable parent. This is true of one five-year-old's comment that "God can go all around the world in one day. And he can't ever do bad things to you!" It is less apparent in another young boy's comment that, "The devil can come up out of a hole in the ground and get you when you're bad!"

 

[cornbread_r2]

This seems like a question for one of my friend in anthropology but since I cant ask him right now I’ll just ask you guys.I’m not sure in what like social science but I’ve heard that there are stages in the development of a religion.I’m guessing this pans from the time it’s just the life principles for understanding reality made by some primitive people with maybe some interpretative rituals thrown in to the the stage where it can be institution with highly intricate philosophy that way more then just expository narratives like with the Church in Catholicism.Does anyone know what the stags are called?.

This article may be helpful.

 

[sidetrack]

americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1087.asp

Maybe this article will help.

1. Imaginative faith
   

            Until around age seven a child's faith can be expected                  to be highly imaginative. A host of different and sometimes conflicting                  images of God, the world and the hereafter fill children's minds                  at this stage. God may be the ever-loving, ever-present, grandfather                  figure somewhere in the sky, or perhaps the exacting mother or                  father seemingly impossible to please. A child's faith is "healthy"                  at this stage if the images that fill his or her mind are positive                  ones that picture the world as a friendly, welcoming place and                  God as a loving, dependable parent. This is true of one five-year-old's                  comment that "God can go all around the world in one day. And                  he can't ever do bad things to you!" It is less apparent in another                  young boy's comment that, "The devil can come up out of a hole                  in the ground and get you when you're bad!"

Huh…:ehh:…this sure wan’t the case with me when I was little.

 

[Franciscanguy]

The best work on spiritual development on an individual level i have seen has been done by James Fowler. you can find his stages with a quick google search.

 

[sidetrack]

The best work on spiritual development on an individual level i have seen has been done by James Fowler. you can find his stages with a quick google search.

It’s cool to know that there’s stuff on spiritual development on an individual level (really it is,I thought that something like would be to subjective to do on such a level) but I was thinking of a broader “societal” level where your looking at the whole collective group that practises a religion.

 

[Franciscanguy]

Probably 2 of the more interesting classics on that topic are Otto’s “The Idea of The Holy” which is an analysis of the “mysterious, tremendous faciniating” thing we call God. There is Mircea Eliade’s “The Sacred and the Profane” which I prefer. It tends to be more expansive than Otto’s work. Google both for a quick synopsis and see of that is more what you are looking for,

Also, Fowler’s work is well researched and well done. I think you will find if quite comprehensive if you look it over.

 

[Nael]

This seems like a question for one of my friend in anthropology but since I cant ask him right now I’ll just ask you guys.I’m not sure in what like social science but I’ve heard that there are stages in the development of a religion.I’m guessing this pans from the time it’s just the life principles for understanding reality made by some primitive people with maybe some interpretative rituals thrown in to the the stage where it can be institution with highly intricate philosophy that way more then just expository narratives like with the Church in Catholicism.Does anyone know what the stags are called?.

Hi,

This series of articles/book extracts answer your question perfectly: catholiceducation.org/articles/history/world/wh0097.html

Regards

 

[mattdantuono]

I recommend Cardinal Newman’s book “An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine.” Great read. Very systematic.