Integration of Faith Development Pattern according to Ephesians 4: 11-13 and James Fowler's Theory and Its Implementation through Christian Religious Education

Abstract

Every Christian is expected to experience the development of faith. Specifically, in Ephesians 4:13, Paul provides a pattern of faith development that includes the unity of faith, actual knowledge of the child of God, full maturity and a level of growth befitting the fullness of Christ. Researchers found that there were difficulties in determining a person's faith development because Paul did not provide an explanation at what age a person could experience it. Can all ages experience the development of faith that Paul offers? Because of these problems, researchers conducted an integrated study of the development of faith using James Fowler's theory. He offers faith development based on age and divides it into six stages of development, namely Infancy and undifferentiated Faith, Intuitive Projective Faith, Mythic-Literal Faith, Synthetic-Conventional Faith, Individuative-Reflective Faith, Conjunctive Faith, Universalizing Faith. Moreover, the study resulted in implementation through Christian Religious Education in the development of faith. So, based on theology-psychology integration is expected to produce a pattern of responsible faith development. This research was conducted using a qualitative approach, namely library studies and interviews with informants at the Indonesian Church of Santapan Rohani (GSRI) in the Kartini Church, Central Jakarta. Based on this paper, researchers suggest that the role of the family and the Church be a useful forum for the development of the faith of God's people. Keywords: Pattern, Integration, Development, Faith, Implementation.