This document discusses four stages of faith development: 1. Simplicity - A dualistic view where things are right or wrong with no gray area. Identity is in authority figures. 2. Complexity - A pragmatic view where there are many ways to succeed. Identity is in causes and achievements. 3. Perplexity - A relativistic view where everyone has an opinion and nothing is certain. Identity is in solitude. 4. Humility/Harmony - An integrated view seeking truth and fulfillment through service and relationships. Identity is in community. The document observes that leaders often only lead people in their own stage of development.

3. But how?

4. Four Challenges
1. Historical
2. Doctrinal
3. Liturgical

5. Four Challenges
1. Historical
2. Doctrinal
3. Liturgical
4. Missional

6. Must mission mean competition?

8. Competing nations ...
Competing gods

9. Competing nations ...
Competing gods

10. Gods of domination,
conquest, and empire ....
2
Gods of resistance,
differentiation, and
freedom ....

11. Gods of the oppressors
2
Gods of the oppressed

12. VIOLENT GODS
2
WHO DEMAND HUMAN
(CHILD) SACRIFICE

13. words from vincent
donovan

14. “‘…do not try to call them back to where
they were, and do not try to call them to
where you are, as beautiful as that place
might seem to you. You must have the
courage to go with them to a place that
neither you nor they have ever been
before.’ Good missionary advice, and a
beautiful description of the unpredictable
process of evangelization, a process
leading to that new place where none of us
has ever been before.” - Vincent Donovan

15. The option of Traditional Conversion
The option of C-5 Identity
The option of Multi-Religious Identity
The option of hospitable neighbor
The option of persecution

16. Embodiment of Christ

17. the mission of vocation:
sending people out to do their
daily work with uncommon
love ...

18. the mission of example ...
modeling another economy,
another way of life

19. Witness ...
Withness -
Mission of Presence
“Transgressive”
friendship

20. The mission of
presence

21. After Indira Gandhi was shot [by a Sikh extremist], two or three
thousand people were killed in twenty-four hours in the riots that
followed. Mobs rampaged through streets looking for Sikhs to murder.
Dave convinced Tony, a friend , that it was their job to go out and save
these Sikhs. Finding a besieged house, they put themselves between
an armed mob and a Sikh family and saved them from certain death.
He is ordinary, yet believes ordinary people should take extraordinary
risks to confront the cruelty in our world."
Drug addicts in India
Mentally handicapped in Brisbane
Solar energy cooperative
Interfaith networks

22. the mission of the new
evangelism:
Proclaiming Jesus’ good news
of the kingdom, reign,
commonwealth, or dream of
God
Calling people to rethink
everything and learn/follow
a new path

23. Ivan Illich (Austrian
former priest,
philosopher, social
critic, 1926-2002)

24. Neither revolution nor reformation
can ultimately change a society,
rather you must tell a new powerful
tale, one so persuasive that it sweeps
away the old myths and becomes the
preferred story …

25. … one so inclusive that it gathers all the
bits of our past and our present into a
coherent whole, one that even shines
some light into the future so that we can
take the next step…. If you want to
change a society, then you have to tell an
alternative story.
- attributed to Ivan Illich (Austrian former priest,
philosopher, social critic, 1926-2002)

26. The
World
Runs on
Stories.

27. SOME ARE
DANGEROUS.

28. Some have
THE POWER
TO HEAL
AND
TRANSFORM

29. Prosperity
Equity Security
Societal System
Think of our Societal
System.

30. It runs on a story … a framing story.
Prosperity
Equity Security
Societal Machine
FRAMING STORY

31. In Jesus’ day, six stories were at work.
1. Domination story = Caesar, Pilate
(with Sadducees and Herodians)
2. Revolution story = Zealots
3. Purification story = Scribes and
Pharisees

32. 4. Victimization story = Galilean
farmers, Samaritans, “sinners”
5. Isolation story = Essenes
6. Consumption story = rich
landowners, stewards, “Gentiles”
Are they at work today?

33. Domination: Us over them
Revolution: Us versus them
Purification: Us versus some of us
Victimization: Us in spite of them
Isolation: Us away from them
Accumulation: Us competing with
them.

34. DOMINATION PURIFICATION
ACCUMULATION
VICTIMIZATION
REVOLUTION
ISOLATION

35. DOMINATION PURIFICATION
CONFLICT!
ACCUMULATION
VICTIMIZATION
REVOLUTION
ISOLATION

36. Jesus came with a very different
story: the good news of the
kingdom of God. (“News” is a true
story … and good news is a story
of peace and joy.)
It invited people to join anew the
story of creation … or to join the
story of New Creation.

37. The good news/story of creation
called people to see God as the
Protagonist or Hero of the
story.
It called them to become
productive characters - not
villains, and not victims either.

38. good news
regenerative community of creation
reconcile with God, neighbor, and
enemy.
repent defect join
peacemakers

39. Domination: Us over them
Revolution: Us versus them
Purification: Us versus some of us
Victimization: Us in spite of them
Isolation: Us away from them
Accumulation: Us competing with them.
Creation/New Creation/
Reconciliation: Some of us for all of
us.

40. NEW CREATION/ RECONCILIATION
DOMINATION PURIFICATION
HOSTILITY
ACCUMULATION
VICTIMIZATION
REVOLUTION
ISOLATION

41. NEW CREATION/ RECONCILIATION
DOMINATION PURIFICATION
ACCUMULATION
VICTIMIZATION
REVOLUTION
ISOLATION

42. After John was put in
prison, Jesus went into
Galilee, proclaiming the
good news of God.
The time has come, he
said. The kingdom of God
has come near. Repent
and believe the good
news!
Mark 1:15

43. Violent gods of domination,
conquest, and empire ....
framing
stories of
hostility
Violent
gods of resistance,
differentiation, and
freedom ....

44. violent gods of the oppressors
violent gods of the oppressed
3rd
option
a nonviolent God of reconciliation
a framing story of peace

45. 3rd The uniqueness of Christ:
He reveals
option a nonviolent God of
reconciliation,
liberation,
transformation,
new creation ...
Not a new religion:
a new possibility for a new
future for every religion.

46. 3rd
option
A call to rethink
everything
(repent) ...
for every religion,
beginning with
Christianity.

47. luke 10:29-37
everyone is crossing roads

50. it all begins with crossing the
road to get to the other ...

51. Four Challenges
1. Historical
2. Doctrinal
3. Liturgical
4. Missional

52. Four Challenges
1. Historical
2. Doctrinal
3. Liturgical
4. Missional
5. Spiritual

54. Four Stages
of Faith
Development

55. William Blake - innocence, experience, higher experience
Soren Kierkegaard - aesthetic, ethical, religious
William Perry - dualism (a,b), multiplicity (a,b), relativism (a,b),
commitment (a,b,c)
James Fowler - primal, mythical-literal, synthetic-conventional,
individual-reflective, conjunctive, universalizing
Ken Blanchard - enthusiastic beginner, disillusioned learner,
capable but cautious performer, self-reliant achiever
Paul Ricouer - precritical/first naivete, critical, postcritical/
second naivete
Graves/Beck/Wilber - archaic-instinctive, animist/tribal, ego-
centric-exploitive, absolutist -obedience authoritarian, scientific
strategic, relativistic-personalistic - communitarian; systemic-
integral, holistic,

56. Stage 1
Simplicity

57. Stage 1
Simplicity
You’re either for us or against us.
It’s all or nothing.

58. Stage 1
Simplicity
Focus: Right or wrong? Good or
bad?
Motive: Pleasing authority
figures, being an insider “us”
Perception: Dualistic

59. Stage 1
Beliefs
-everything is known or knowable;
there are easy answers to every
question
-good authorities/us are the ones
who know the right answers
-the bad guys/them are wrong

60. Stage 1
Authorities
Godlike, God’s representatives,
they know and give answers

61. Stage 1
Simplicity
Life is a war.

62. Stage 1
Identity: In my leader or group.
Relationships: Dependent or co-
dependent

63. Stage 1
Simplicity
God is …
The Ultimate Authority Figure
or Ultimate Friend

64. Stage 1
Simplicity
STRENGTHS: highly committed,
willing to sacrifice and suffer.
WEAKNESSES: Also willing to
kill or inflict suffering. Arrogant,
simplistic, combative,
judgmental, intolerant

65. Stage 1
Simplicity
Connection through
awakening

66. Stage 2
Complexity

67. Stage 2
Complexity
There’s more than one way to do
things.

68. Stage 2
Complexity
Focus: Effective or ineffective?
Technique, winning, success
Motive: Reach goals, being
effective
Perception: Pragmatic

69. Stage 2
Beliefs:
-anything is doable
-there are many ways to reach
the goal
-authorities/us are the ones who
know how to do it
-the bad guys don’t do the right
stuff

70. Stage 2
Authorities
Coaches. They help you grow
and succeed with know-how.

71. Stage 2
Complexity
Life is a game.
Learn the rules.
Play to win.

72. Stage 2
Complexity
Identity: My cause or
achievement.
Relationships: Increasingly
independent.

73. Stage 2
Complexity
God is …
The Ultimate Guide or Coach

74. Stage 2
Complexity
STRENGTHS: Enthusiasm,
idealism, action
WEAKNESSES: Superficial,
naïve, overly pragmatic

75. Stage 2
Complexity
Connection through need

76. Stage 3
Perplexity

77. Stage 3
Perplexity
Everyone has an opinion. Who
knows who is right?

78. Stage 3
Perplexity
Focus: Honest or dishonest?
Authentic or inauthentic?
Motive: Being honest or
authentic
Perception: Relativistic, critical

79. Stage 3
Beliefs
-little/nothing is known or
knowable; everybody has an
opinion
-good people are honest about
their questions

80. Stage 3
Authorities are ...
Controllers
The Enemy
Trying to impose easy answers
on the naïve
Trying to use the naive

81. Stage 3
Perplexity
Life is …
a joke
mystery
or search

82. Stage 3
Identity: In solitude, or among a
small band of similarly alienated
friends
Relationships: Counter-
dependent

83. Stage 3
Perplexity
God is …
mythic authority I’ve outgrown
mysterious reality I’m seeking
or opiate of the pathetic masses

84. Stage 3
Perplexity
STRENGTHS: depth, honesty,
sensitivity to suffering, perhaps
ironic humor
WEAKNESSES: cynical,
uncommitted, withdrawn,
critical, depressed, elitist

85. Stage 3
Perplexity
Connection through
unknowing

86. Stage 4
Humility/Harmony

87. Stage 4
Humility/Harmony
Seek first God’s kingdom … love
God, love neighbors … in
essentials unity … focus on a
few grand essentials

88. Stage 4
Humility/Harmony
Focus: Wise or unwise? Fulfilling
potential
Motive: Serve, contribute, make
a difference
Perception: Integrated,
synthesizing, sympathetic

89. Stage 4
Beliefs
-some things are known, many
are mysteries; life is a quest
-there is no “them”

90. Stage 4
Authorities
people like me
imperfect
sometimes doing their best,
sometimes dishonest,
sometimes sincerely misguided

91. Stage 4
Life is ...
What you make it (with God’s
help)

92. Stage 4
Identity: In mutual relationships
Relationships: Interdependent

93. Stage 4
God is ...
Knowable in part, yet mysterious,
present yet transcendent, just
yet merciful
(able to hold truths in tension --
“paradoxy”)

94. Stage 4
Humility/Harmony
STRENGTHS: May exhibit
strengths of previous stages,
plus stability, endurance, wisdom
WEAKNESSES: May display
weaknesses of earlier stages

95. Stage 4
Humility/Harmony
connection through
affection

96. William Blake - innocence, experience, higher experience
Soren Kierkegaard - aesthetic, ethical, religious
William Perry - dualism (a,b), multiplicity (a,b), relativism (a,b),
commitment (a,b,c)
James Fowler - primal, mythical-literal, synthetic-conventional,
individual-reflective, conjunctive, universalizing
Ken Blanchard - enthusiastic beginner, disillusioned learner,
capable but cautious performer, self-reliant achiever
Paul Ricouer - precritical/first naivete, critical, postcritical/
second naivete
Graves/Beck/Wilber - archaic-instinctive, animist/tribal, ego-
centric-exploitive, absolutist -obedience authoritarian, scientific
strategic, relativistic-personalistic - communitarian; systemic-
integral, holistic,

97. What happens after Stage 4?
Harmony becomes the new
simplicity ...

98. What happens after Stage 4?
Harmony becomes the new
simplicity ...
which encounters new
complexity ...
which enters new perplexity ...
which discovers new harmony ...

99. What happens after Stage 4?
Eventually ... one becomes less
aware of stages and struggle and
more away of learning and life.

100. Observations:
Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith
World looks different at
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4

101. An observation:
Whole denominations or parachurch
organizations seem to specialize in
certain stages, and fail people in
other stages.

102. An observation:
Leaders seldom (never?) lead
people in a stage beyond their own.
1’s lead 1’s.
2’s lead 2’s and 1’s.
3’s lead 3’s and 2’s.
4’s lead 4’s and 3’s (plus?)

103. A question:
How do we minister to people with
such contrary expectations, needs,
issues, and desires?
A direction:
Explore Jesus as teacher … not just
in content, but also in method.

104. An observation:
Jesus models working with people
in each stage, and always brings
them farther on the journey.

105. An important reminder
The goal isn’t to rush through the
stages to get to 4 as soon as
possible.
Each stage has lessons to teach,
and prepares for the next.
You don’t move on until you’re
ready ... in the fullness of time.

106. We need churches and ministries
that help people at all levels ...

107. disciple Dis*ci"ple, n. [OE. disciple, deciple,
OF. disciple, fr. L. discipulus, fr. discere to
learn (akin to docere to teach; see Docile) +
prob. a root meaning to turn or drive, as in L.
pellere to drive (see Pulse).] One who
receives instruction from another; a scholar;
a learner; especially, a follower who has
learned to believe in the truth of the doctrine
of his teacher; an adherent in doctrine; as,
the disciples of Plato; the disciples of our
Savior

108. Why is so much
religion focused on
Simplicity/Dualism?

110. Stage 0
Egocentricity
It’s all about me.

111. Stage 0
Egocentricity
Focus: Like or dislike? Fun or not?
Motive: Pleasing & comforting
myself
Perception: Narcissistic

112. Stage 0
Beliefs
-I would be constantly happy if
everyone would cooperate
-authorities exist to make me feel
good
-bad people make me feel bad

113. Stage 0
Authorities
Exist for my benefit, serve my
entitlement, are genii-like.

114. Stage 0
Egocentricity
Life is play or party.

115. Stage 0
Identity: In my likes and dislikes.
Relationships: Presumptive

116. Stage 0
Egocentricity
God is …
The Candyman, the Genii, the
Magic Lamp

117. Stage 0
Egocentricity
STRENGTHS: emotionally
expressive, transparent, aware of
own needs and desires.
WEAKNESSES: Largely oblivious
to the needs and desires of others

118. Stage 0
Egocentricity
Connection through need.

119. From selfish to true self
0. Egocentricity - One (me!)
1. Simplicity - Two (us/them)
2. Complexity - Three or more
3. Perplexity - Fractions
4. Harmony - One (all)

121. Stage 1
Simplicity

122. Stage 2
Complexity

123. Space 3
Perplexity/Surviving

124. Space 4
Harmony/Deepening

125. slides available
www.brianmclaren.net