The Simplicity of Doubt
A couple weeks back, I began sharing my thoughts on doubt, how it has impacted the landscape of organized religion, and doubt's place in the practice of any religion. I last shared that, at least historically in the Christian religion, doubt is a welcome and needed aspect of maturing our faith. In fact, Doubt is a Doorway to Deeper Faith! Doubt is our companion, every bit as resilient and persistent as faith. Doubt can be a tough but effective teacher and a difficult but faithful friend. When leaned into and nurtured well, doubt prepares the way for a new kind of faith after (and with) doubt, a humbled and harmonious faith that expresses itself in love.
These statements are not just rooted in theology but science as well! There has been TONS of scientific research into the stages of faith. One psychologist who has made a significant impact in the field is James W. Fowler and his "Stages of Faith" model. Fowler's model explores how individuals' faith and spiritual development evolve throughout their lives. Based on developmental psychology, Fowler's theory identifies six stages, where one transcends self-interest for universal compassion. These stages suggest that faith development mirrors cognitive and moral development, influenced by factors such as life experiences, social environments, and personal reflection. There are dozens more researchers that have further developed Fowler's theories, but they all seem to point in the same direction; faith is not a static but a dynamic process that evolves as people grow intellectually and emotionally, and doubt is a significant component in that evolution process.
For simplicity's sake, we are going to dig into a more stripped-down version of how faith grows and evolves, consisting of four stages. (I prefer not to simplify very complex and nuanced things, but it often helps us grasp a topic that will allow more profound thought and conversation). We will begin with the first stage of faith, which we will simply call...Simplicity. (Apologies for being so derivative...ha). In Simplicity, the focus is on what is right or wrong? What is good or bad? The motive behind this perspective is a drive to please authority figures (God or other higher power primarily, but also a religious leader or the church or group of like-minded folks they are a part of). After all, these leaders (hence "us") are good and right, which will help "us" steer clear of "them" who are wrong and bad. For someone in Simplicity, there is a belief that everything can be known or knowable with easy and direct answers. There is a "You're either with us or against us" and "It's all or nothing" kinda vibe, whether overtly or subtly. As with everything, there are strengths and weaknesses at this stage. The strengths of folks in Simplicity are they are usually highly committed to the point of being willing to sacrifice and suffer for their perspective and their group. The weaknesses are folks can be narrow-minded, judgmental, and combative, and can be willing to inflict suffering on folks that see things differently than them.
Once again, looking through my lens as someone from the Jesus-inspired tradition, just like doubt is found in the Christian bible, we see all the stages of faith, including this first stage. The real insight is that we get to see how Jesus interacts with all of them. Regarding the stage of simplicity, we see an interaction between Jesus and one of his core group of followers, James. In John 20:24-29, Jesus interacts with James in all his Simplistic beauty. We see two things: First, Jesus fully accepts and affirms James understanding of things.. Second, we see Jesus fully preparing James, showing there is more to faith and belief than he currently understands. The lesson that clearly sticks out to me is that Jesus is showing us that...
Simplicity is for Starting, Not for Staying
Like doubt, the first stage of Simplicity is necessary for all of us. (Just like when we were children, we need to know what is hot and could harm.) It is also a necessity that we have a faith (and a faith community) that fully accepts and gives us what we need while in that stage while also fully preparing us for the other stages of faith. The result is that we find that we are not outgrowing our faith at all. Instead, we are growing out of one stage of our faith and moving into another one. Doubt opens the doors and prepares the way for a new kind of faith that is a humbled and harmonious faith that expresses itself in love.
As a person of science and faith (degrees and professional experience in both), I will continue to write about the different stages of faith we experience as humans. Doubt is a vital part of how that faith evolves and matures, and how we can be more kind to ourselves and one another as we all make our way through this crazy thing we call life. One of my favorite things to do is sit down with a tasty beverage and chat more deeply about this. We can do that one-on-one or we could do it at the Doubter's Club (see invite above). Either way, I have no doubts that our conversations will be wonderful.
Grace and Peace,
Sam