The conversion of children & faith development

THE CONVERSION OF CHILDREN THE CONVERSION OF CHILDREN & FAITH DEVELOPMENT& FAITH DEVELOPMENT

With John C. Douglas, MA, D.Min.(cand).

John C. Douglas (1991). The Conversion of Children: Contextualizing Faith & Sin In Developmental Perspectives. Denver: Sage Resources.

Establishing Child Conversion - DiscipleshipEstablishing Child Conversion - Discipleship

To establish the context of child conversion, developmentalists should be asked:

• "How do children process information?” • Do we view children as "sub-adults", therefore under developed, or can we

see them as persons in their own right and possessing "adequate relative maturity?”

The psychosocial development stages as defined by Jean

Piaget (a Swiss developmental child psychologist) provide helpful indicators as to how this can be achieved.

• He defined characteristics of the learning perspectives and development of children that are "keys" in unlocking our subject. ©JCD 1990

STAGEAGE

RANGEPROCESSING CHARACTERISTICS Focus On Authority =

SENSORIMOTOR STAGE 0-2 Development of schemes primarily

through sense and motor activities -- --

PREOPERATIONAL STAGE 2-7

Gradual acquisition of ability to decenter, but not capable of concrete operations and unable to mentally reverse actions

Self as centre of their world

Trusted adults

CONCRETE OPERATIONAL

STAGE7-11/12

Capable of operations, but solves problems from generalizations and

concrete actions. Not able to manipulate conditions mentally unless they have

been physically experienced

Behaviour is either right or

wrong

Functioning by the “rules”

FORMAL FORMAL OPERATIONAL OPERATIONAL

STAGESTAGE

11/12 onwards

Able to deal with abstractions or hypotheses (statements of ideas that can

be proved right or wrong). Solves problems systematically, and engages in

mental (compared with physical) manipulations.

Discovering the “Ideal” from the

available options

Living by the ideal. I.e. “One should obey the rules

because of mutual concern for others"”

[1] These are Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development stages

Driving Questions looking for Integrated AnswersDriving Questions looking for Integrated Answers

• What is Faith?• What is Sin?• Who is Jesus?• What is the Bible?• What is Repentance?• Are children “micro-adults”?• Why do children from Christian

homes often “revert in adolescence”?

• What is the “ordo salutis”**Latin for "the order of salvation" which deals with the logical sequence of steps or stages involved in the salvation of a believer

Elements in Evangelical ConversionElements in Evangelical Conversion

Repentance– Turning from sin and self centred

lifestyle

Faith– Expressing a confessional trust in Jesus

for salvationIn “normative conversion” the order is In “normative conversion” the order is Repentance precedes Faith or . . . Repentance precedes Faith or . . . Turn Turn

then Trustthen Trust

BUT ... Is that how it should be with children??

STAGEAGE

RANGEPROCESSING

FOCUS SIN IS FAITH ISADULT VIEW OF

SINJESUS IS THE BIBLE IS

SENSORIMOTOR STAGE 0-2 -- -- -- -- --

PREOPERATIONAL STAGE 2-7

Use of a pre-logical system of

reasoning

Behaviour against adult commands

Confidence in the command of adults

Sin is against a holy God. Faith is

trust in propositional truth

The Trusted Adult

Jesus’ Book – He is the one who the

whole book revolves around

CONCRETE OPERATIONAL

STAGE7-11/12

Systematic and logical

manipulation of symbols that

have a “concrete reference”

Behaviour against the rules of the

game. (Ie. Not standing in the correct position

when pitching a softball, or Not going to church or reading

the Bible).

Trusting the rules through

observance (they are not to be

questioned, but identified and

followed).

“ “

The One who makes the

expects the rules to be kept

The book that contains the rules

of Jesus

FORMAL OPERATIONS

STAGE

11/12 onwards

Abstract thought and hypothetical

reasoning. (Idealism and

peer influence).

Behaviour against ideas and treating

others with equality and fairness.

Committing yourself to ideals

whether a person or set of ideals. Showing the

commitment and behaviour.

“ “

The one who embodied, owns and fully lives in

the ideas!

The book of the ideals of Jesus

and the “examples” of

how they work for you or you work

against them

[1] These are Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development stages

STAGEAGE

RANGEPROCESSING

FOCUS SIN IS FAITH ISADULT VIEW OF

SINJESUS IS THE BIBLE IS

SENSORIMOTOR STAGE 0-2 -- -- -- -- --

PREOPERATIONAL PREOPERATIONAL STAGESTAGE 2-7

Use of a pre-logical system of reasoning

Behaviour against adult commands

Confidence in the

command of adults

Sin is against a holy God. Faith is trust

in propositional

truth

The Trusted Adult

Jesus’ Book – He is the

one who the whole book

revolves around

CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE 7-11/12

Systematic and logical manipulation of symbols

that have a “concrete reference”

Behaviour against the rules of the game.

(Ie. Not standing in the correct position when pitching a softball, or Not going to

church or reading the Bible).

Trusting the rules through observance

(they are not to be questioned, but identified

and followed).

“ “The One who makes the expects the rules to be

kept

The book that contains the rules of Jesus

FORMAL OPERATIONS

STAGE11/12 onwards

Abstract thought and hypothetical reasoning.

(Idealism and peer influence).

Behaviour against ideas and treating others with equality and fairness.

Committing yourself to ideals whether a person or set of ideals. Showing the

commitment and behaviour.

“ “The one who embodied, owns and fully lives in

the ideas!

The book of the ideals of Jesus and the

“examples” of how they work for you or you work

against them

[1] These are Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development stages

STAGEAGE

RANGEPROCESSING

FOCUS SIN IS FAITH ISADULT VIEW OF

SINJESUS IS THE BIBLE IS

SENSORIMOTOR STAGE 0-2 -- -- -- -- --

PREOPERATIONAL STAGE 2-7 Use of a pre-logical

system of reasoningBehaviour against adult

commandsConfidence in the

command of adults

Sin is against a holy God. Faith is trust in

propositional truthThe Trusted Adult

Jesus’ Book – He is the one who the whole book

revolves around

CONCRETE CONCRETE OPERATIONAOPERATIONA

L STAGEL STAGE

7-11/12

Systematic and logical

manipulation of symbols that have a “concrete reference”

Behaviour against the rules of the

game. (Ie. Not standing in the correct position

when pitching a softball, or Not

going to church or reading the Bible).

Trusting the rules through observance (they are not to be

questioned, but identified and

followed).

“ “

The One who makes the expects the rules to

be kept

The book that

contains the rules of Jesus

FORMAL OPERATIONS

STAGE11/12 onwards

Abstract thought and hypothetical reasoning.

(Idealism and peer influence).

Behaviour against ideas and treating others with equality and fairness.

Committing yourself to ideals whether a person or set of ideals. Showing the

commitment and behaviour.

“ “The one who embodied, owns and fully lives in

the ideas!

The book of the ideals of Jesus and the

“examples” of how they work for you or you work

against them

[1] These are Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development stages

STAGEAGE

RANGEPROCESSING

FOCUS SIN IS FAITH ISADULT VIEW OF

SINJESUS IS THE BIBLE IS

SENSORIMOTOR STAGE 0-2 -- -- -- -- --

PREOPERATIONAL STAGE 2-7 Use of a pre-logical

system of reasoningBehaviour against adult

commandsConfidence in the

command of adults

Sin is against a holy God. Faith is trust in

propositional truthThe Trusted Adult

Jesus’ Book – He is the one who the whole book

revolves around

CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE 7-11/12

Systematic and logical manipulation of symbols

that have a “concrete reference”

Behaviour against the rules of the game.

(Ie. Not standing in the correct position when pitching a softball, or Not going to

church or reading the Bible).

Trusting the rules through observance

(they are not to be questioned, but identified

and followed).

“ “The One who makes the expects the rules to be

kept

The book that contains the rules of Jesus

FORMAL FORMAL OPERATIONS OPERATIONS

STAGESTAGE 11/12 onward

s

Abstract thought and hypothetical reasoning.

(Idealism and peer

influence).

Behaviour against ideas and treating others with equality and

fairness.

Committing yourself to

ideals whether a

person or set of ideals.

Showing the commitment

and behaviour.

“ “

The one who

embodied, owns and

fully lives in the ideas!

The book of the ideals of Jesus and

the “examples” of how they work for you or you work

against them

[1] These are Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development stages

Re-ordering the order . . . Re-ordering the order . . .

ADULT CONVERSION

1. Turn (repentance)

2. Trust (Faith in the

light of repentance)

CHILD CONVERSION

1. Trust (Faith)

2. Turn (Repentance in

light of faith)

Applications to “lifelong discipleship . . . Applications to “lifelong discipleship . . .

• The Goodnews is presented as the lifelong love of God• Trust/faith stages build around “epigenetic principle”1

• The possibility of “adolescent re-version” is significantly lowered

• Faith is understood as built in both cognitive and affective domains

• Jesus, Bible and discipleship experience equilibration in stage transitions,

• Faith development is sequential maturation.1 The epigenetic principle is an idea developed by Erik Erikson that states that every organism is born with a certain purpose, and continues to develop how it was intended to in interrelation with its environment.