Judy Harris
The Emmaus Nurture Course and Faith Development:
A study of the application of Fowler’s Theory to assess the effectiveness of the course
for new adult Christians
Introduction
For many years now, in the Team Parish in which I work as a Team Vicar, the Emmaus Nurture Course has been used to lead new Christians to and through confirmation to Christian commitment. Over the past decades there has been much research into the ways that adults learn, and this has led to important developments in this discipline. A direct result of these fresh understandings has been a renewed interest in the methods used to prepare adults for Christian initiation, that is baptism and confirmation, and many new initiatives have been proposed. In the light of this advanced knowledge, a key question arises as to what extent the Emmaus Nurture Course accords with these current developments. As the Emmaus Nurture Course is now well established in many parishes and nationally, the time has come to examine this Course to see whether it still continues to be a good tool to assist in the faith development of the candidates.
· Does it help them to make meaning of life, of the world, of God, and of themselves?
· Does it enable them to reflect upon their life experiences and assist in leading to change in their understandings and attitudes?
· Does it facilitate faith development?
To answer these questions it was necessary to find some method whereby the Course could be evaluated.
James W. Fowler’s pioneering work in the area of Faith Development has proved to be a valuable tool for enabling the actual faith of individuals to be investigated and analysed. Fowler defines faith development as a series of stages ‘by which persons shape their relatedness to a transcendent center or centers of value’ (Moseley, R et al.1993:3). To determine at which stage of faith development people are, they are interviewed, and their responses are analysed. This Theory of Faith Development is one method which could be used to measure the effectiveness of the Emmaus Nurture Course, and despite it being now over thirty years old, and despite the criticism it has received in some quarters, I have been unable to find any other methods to measure faith development. Therefore I have decided that it will be by Fowler’s theory and methodology that the Course will be evaluated.
This dissertation begins with an account of the recent developments in the understanding of the ways in which adults learn, and develops to show how this new thinking is informing the methods used to prepare men and women for Christian baptism and confirmation. This means of education into Christian initiation has become known as The Adult Catechumenate, and the methodology is that of people learning by journeying together. One of the courses designed using these educational methods is the Emmaus Nurture Course, and this Course is described in some detail in Chapter One. There follows a synopsis of James W Fowler’s Theory of Faith Development with a description of what he perceives as the six Stages of Faith that human beings pass through as they mature and respond to changes in their life experiences and environment. Fowler asserts that there are seven categories or aspects which underpin people’s way of knowing, valuing and meaning-making, and these are then summarised. As the basis for assessing which Stage of Faith people are at is a semi-clinical interview of set questions, the strengths and weaknesses of this method are discussed along with the limitations of Fowler’s theory and his methodology.
Chapter Two gives a detailed account of the methodology used to select and contact the adults who were considering confirmation. The interview process is explained fully, as is the means by which the interviews were analysed.
In Chapter Three there is a very detailed analysis of each interview, and the participating adults are placed in their Stage of Faith using Fowler’s criteria. To ascertain if the adults had made progress they had been interviewed twice, at the beginning, then at the end of the Course. The results of the two interviews of each respondent are then compared and examples from their transcripts given to show areas of growth. The numerical results of each individual’s interviews are displayed on bar charts for ease of comparison, and a composite chart produced to display the overall growth of the Course members. The interviews of the group leaders are also analysed and compared with their group members’ results to ascertain if this had influenced the results or not. Finally in this chapter I list the questions posed in the Fowler questionnaire which are addressed in the Emmaus Nurture Course material.
In Chapter Four I reflect on the empirical results gathered in the research, seeking to answer the question fundamental question which generated this piece of research, that is whether or not the Emmaus Nurture Course assists adults in faith development. Further questions which arose during this investigation are also addressed. The positive and negative aspects of the Nurture Course are examined and their implications for Christian ministry discussed. There are suggestions, based on the findings of the research, as to how the Course could be improved. Also discussed are additional factors which could influence the development of the adults. Lastly the effectiveness and the limitations of using Fowler’s Theory of Faith Development in this research are considered.
Chapter 1 Literary Review
Adult Education and the Catechumenate.
In recent times there has been much research into the ways that adults learn. It is now recognised that the didactic method is no longer considered to be the only way or even the best way (Baumohl, A. 1986:10). Learning takes place at many different levels. The ways in which adults learn are not so different from those of children. Both learn more effectively when they are participating, when they are involved and active. And as with children, adults respond to stories, and to concrete images, finding them more educationally effective than abstract ideas. Vital to learning for adults is the personal relevance of any teaching (Baumohl, A. 1986:10). Adults are not just empty vessels waiting to be filled for, unlike children, they have a wealth of knowledge and experience, which they can offer. This knowledge will heavily influence their learning, and can help or hinder the learning process. Previous experiences can both assist growth and the acquisition of knowledge, or it can create an impediment to growth. Much of being adult is concerned with coping with the day to day problems and issues, with relationships, with problem solving and with survival in a complex and confusing world. The importance of life experience as a source of learning cannot be overstated, and each experience, whether good or bad becomes a source of new learning. This is illustrated in the story of the Transfiguration of Christ and the following happenings (Luke 9:28-43). Here, on the top of a mountain, the close friends of Jesus see him shining with light, conversing with Moses and Elijah about his forthcoming trials. They then hear the voice of God affirming Jesus as his son. Descending the mountain, buoyant with all they have seen, they are met by an angry crowd and are immediately plunged into a distressing situation as they see a boy writhing on the ground in an epileptic fit and the remaining disciples being unable to heal him.
All experiences, positive or negative, are potential learning situations and the skilled educator will use them as such. A constructive method of learning from experiences is to reflect upon them:
Reflecting on an experience enables the learner to tease out the elements important to him or her - new information, ideas, solutions, understandings, feelings. These are now stored in the mind - what the educationalists call conceptualisation..… Sometimes new experiences reinforce and develop the picture that already exists from past stored material, but at other times they challenge what is there. (Baumohl, A. 1986:30).
Immanuel Kant and Georg Hegel described human knowledge as being heavily influenced by perceiving and thinking. John Hull has pointed out that according to their philosophy, learning is not an isolated experience but takes place within the context of human living (Hull, J.1985:51).
A factor in the education of adults which has often been ignored is the importance of curiosity. Although adults are not so overtly curious as children, they, never the less retain varying degrees of curiosity. Curiosity in adults is dependent upon interest; they enjoy finding out about subjects which interest them. Yet perversely, it is a fact that once these subjects and realities have become ‘the ground of our life as a whole’ (Hull, J. 1985:54), they are taken for granted and curiosity about them declines. John Hull suggests that the reluctance to reflect upon things which are deeply precious is due to a defensive mechanism, positing that ‘it would be painful and unsettling to question things which are the source of and ground for the rest of our lives and activities’ (Hull, J.1985:51).
The purpose of education in any context should involve the whole person and assist, not only in the acquisition of knowledge, but also in the growth and change which will inform every aspect of their life, private and public. This new thinking about the ways in which adults learn has become pivotal to the methods by which men and women are being prepared for Christian baptism and confirmation in many churches of all denominations, and, based on the word ‘catechumen’, a name given in the early Church for a person undergoing instruction prior to baptism, it has become known as The Adult Catechumenate. Peter Ball has written much on this (see Ball, P. 1988 Adult Believing, a Guide to the Christian Initiation of Adults. London, Mowbray). The metaphor used for the Adult Catechumenate is that of journeying together.
It is a continual process of discovery and concerns the whole person. It affects (people’s) understanding, their attitudes, their spirituality, their relationships with other people and the choices they make in life. It is affected by their character, by their experiences of living from birth to the present day, by their friends and by the society and communities to which they belong. (Ball, P. 1988:14).
Journeying is one of the major themes in the Jewish and Christian biblical texts, starting from the journey of Abraham from Mesopotamia to Canaan, through Moses and the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land, to the itinerant ministry of Jesus, and beyond. It is also an image of human life, with all its encounters and experiences. Through the journey comes growth and change. It is often used as a metaphor of the passage to faith (General Synod Misc 444: 1995:20).
Utilising this metaphor of the journey as the means of coming to and growing in faith, the name of ‘The Way’ was given to the early Christian movement (Acts 9:2 cf. 18:25,26; 19:9; 19:23; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22), a name which expresses the life in the Christian Church, and which ‘draws together three important dimensions of Christian discipleship: movement, integration, and pattern’ (General Synod Misc 444:1995:20). The thrust of the early Church was to establish ‘appropriate patterns in the believing and living of Christian communities and individuals’ (General Synod Misc 444:1995:20), (biblical texts Romans.6:17; Philippians.3:17; 1 Timothy.1:16; 1 Timothy. 4:12; 2 Timothy:1:13; Titus.2:7). But within these appropriate patterns (Gk tupos) there must also be a certain open-endedness, the journey never being complete. Those who are travelling need to realise that the evolution of faith will be continuous across their entire life (Hull, J. 1985:150).
It needs to be remembered that over recent years modern belief patterns have changed dramatically. No longer can it be assumed that people have a knowledge of Jewish and Christian Scripture, of the Church or of the Christian faith. 86% of young people have no contact with any Christian denomination at any point in their childhood (General Synod Misc 444: 1995:21), and the Christian story is not taught in schools in the way in which it used to be. This means that it is very important to assess where people are coming from and what they know. John Finney affirms this when he points out that in the Anglican Church:
‘a generation ago confirmation was primarily a rite for children, and less than a quarter of those confirmed were adults - now half are people over the age of 16. With the decline in the number of those who encounter the Christian faith through the church in childhood an understanding of how people come to faith is increasingly important’ (Finney, J.1992:Preface x).
Until very recently the style of confirmation preparation which was prevalent in the Church of England was such that the candidates sat and received information. This style is now changing, the emphasis being on the sharing of faith, and the hearing of the candidates’ faith story, within the metanarrative of the Christian story. It is recognised that newcomers bring to the group their own rich experience of life. This so called ‘new method’ is, in fact, re-adopting the way that the members of the early church welcomed enquirers and prepared candidates for baptism and initiation into the Church, a preparation which lasted over a year. In line with this, John Finney’s research showed that 69% of people of all church traditions become Christians gradually rather than having a ‘Damascus Road’ encounter with God. The preparation is once again seen as the work of the whole church and members of the laity are encouraged to be heavily involved with it either as group leaders or as sponsors to the catechumens, joining with newcomers and spending several months together sharing and discovering faith. Group leaders need to have skills in working with people and to have a reasonably sound knowledge of the main tenets of the Christian faith (General Synod Misc 444: 1995:111).