Universalizing faith

This stage arises very rarely, the person having generated faith composition in which the feeling of an ultimate environment includes all beings. These are the incarnators and actualizers of the spirit of an inclusive and fulfilled human community. For those around them there is liberation from social, political, economic and ideological constraints and an awareness of participating in a power that unifies and transforms the world. Because of this they may be experienced as subversive to the religious and other structures which sustain corporate survival, security and significance, they may even be killed by those they are trying to change and are usually more honoured after their death than during their lives. These persons have a special grace to appear more lucid and simple and yet more fully human and their community extends universally. The particular is valued because it is a vessel of the universal not from utilitarian considerations. They love life yet hold to it loosely. The person of universalizing faith is ready for fellowship with persons at any other stage and from any other tradition.

Stage 6 in the system of faith development described by James Fowler. It can be compared with 'stage 7' of Lawrence Kohlberg. Together with the previous stage (conjunctive faith) it can also be compared with the abstract thinking of Piaget (also with stages 3 and 4), the 'universal principles' level of moral development of Lawrence Kohlberg and possibly with the maturity (ego integrity versus despair) stage of psycho-motor development of Erik Erikson and the world view of broken myth and use of symbols of Paul Tillich.