07.29.07
Walter Clark’s Criteria for a Mature Religion
The bullet points listed below are taken from a text by Walter Clark Psychology of Religion. The points he lists for a “mature religion” are quite analogous to M. Scott Peck’s Stage four, James Fowler’s stages five and six and Wilber’s green level and above (my comments – and correlations with Peck, Fowler and Wilber’s concepts for this stage - are in bold)
Criteria for Mature Religion
1. Mature religion is primary, derived from a sense of compelling individual need, not pious, imitative play-acting. (individual, not formulaic)
2. It is fresh; like the religion of childhood, it has a fresh sense of curiosity and wonder. (approaches the mystery, searches continual growth, does not accept pre-set answers)
3. It is self-critical; the individual can see weaknesses in his religious position while at the same time remaining loyal to it. (does not insist his is the only correct religion, does not need certainty)
4. Mature religion is free from magic; it is not merely a means of securing favors from a cosmic source. (prayer is not for the purpose of securing personal favors – prayer is for giving glory – in honor of the mystery - mystic)
5. It gives meaning to life in such a way as to enlist and motivate one’s total energies so that it is capable of becoming a satisfaction for its own sake.
6. It relates itself to all of one’s experiences, thus integrates one’s life and demonstrates moral results consistent with one’s own aims as well as those of a wholesome society. (communal – “we all are one” )
7. A mature religion strengthens the individual’s sense of community with others in such a way as to be ultimately creative of a more wholesome society. It is socially effective. (communal)
8. It demonstrates humility. (mystic)
9. It is growing; one’s faith expands in the search for deeper truths and in the progressively wider, willing identification of the interests of others with one’s own. (communal, no need for certainty, approaches the mystery rather than run from it)
10. A mature religion is creative; the religious life of the individual contains elements and shows characteristics of its own; it is not a mere repetition of the religion of others. (individual, has moved beyond the type of religion that comes with a pre-set formula)