Updating Faith Development Theory
My Research into the Complexification of Meaning and Ultimate Concern
Here’s my presentation to the Institute of Applied Metatheory sharing my findings on the relationship of faith development and hierarchical complexity. This has been an incredibly exciting and, I think, important project, about which I’ll be sharing more soon.
From the video description:
“In this groundbreaking presentation, Brendan Graham Dempsey introduces a comprehensive update and revitalization of James Fowler's influential Faith Development Theory (FDT). Integrating sophisticated modern measurement tools, particularly the Lectical Assessment System (LAS), Dempsey reveals nuanced insights into how individuals evolve in their meaning-making capacities, ultimate concerns, and existential understanding.
Fowler’s original model, widely adopted within integral and developmental circles, portrayed faith as universal — extending far beyond religious traditions — and progressing through stages from literal, concrete beliefs to complex, reflective, and integrative worldviews. Fowler identified several key stages, including:
Stage 1: Intuitive-Projective (imaginative and impressionistic; shaped by early experiences and powerful images)
Stage 2: Mythic-literal (literal and transactional understanding)
Stage 3: Synthetic-Conventional (community-oriented and traditional)
Stage 4: Individuative-Reflective (critical, reflective, evidence-based)
Stage 5: Conjunctive Faith (embracing paradox, symbolic language, and multiple perspectives)
Dempsey's pioneering research rigorously confirms Fowler’s stages with empirical precision, showcasing a remarkably strong correlation between traditional FDT assessments and contemporary hierarchical complexity metrics.
Moreover, Dempsey provides a clear alignment of Fowler’s stages with other integral and developmental frameworks, such as Ken Wilber’s altitudes and Piaget's cognitive developmental stages. This integration offers an enriched understanding of how Fowler’s insights relate to broader developmental psychology and cultural evolution. Through meticulous quantitative analysis of original faith-development interview transcripts, complemented by vivid qualitative examples, Dempsey highlights subtle yet profound transitions in developmental stages. He clarifies critical distinctions between content-based and structurally-based assessments, addressing previous scoring pitfalls and demonstrating how developmental stages genuinely reflect deeper cognitive and existential shifts rather than surface-level thematic content alone.
This work carries significant implications for addressing the ongoing meta-crisis by offering empirically grounded strategies to cultivate richer, more integrative forms of meaning-making. The refined model promises profound applications—from tailored educational initiatives and coaching interventions to transformative cultural and institutional strategies aimed at cognitive elites and key influencers. Whether you're a researcher, educator, coach, or simply curious about the deeper structures guiding our understanding of reality and meaning, this presentation delivers essential insights and powerful tools to help us collectively navigate today's complex and rapidly evolving world.”
Here’s the paper I authored with Henry Kurze if you’d like to see the formal argument and statistical analysis:
Hierarchical Complexity as a Domain-General Framework for Faith Development
These findings, along with Lectical scores for other stage models, are central to my forthcoming addition to the Evolution of Meaning series: Volume 2. Psyche and Symbolic Learning (due out later this summer). Stay tuned!