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The book by Hagberg and Guelich titled “The critical journey, stages in the life of faith” is a valuable source of knowledge about religion and God’s place in it. This work provides a unique look at the journey of people to the knowledge and acceptance of faith. Each chapter of the book reveals a separate stage of this trial. Chapters seven through fourteen contribute to gaining an understanding of the last stages of acceptance of religion and spiritual formation, as well as concentrating on clarifying information for readers.
Chapter 7 focuses on a more detailed study of the concept of the Wall, which is part of the fourth stage of “The journey inward.” The authors note that this phenomenon is “our will meeting God’s will face to face” (Hagberg & Guelich, 2005, p. 114). Thus, this section of the book provides information about various types of people who may have difficulties in overcoming the Wall or have the desire to destroy it. Among them can be distinguished intellectuals, achievers, or strong egos (Hagberg & Guelich, 2005). Uniqueness is the giving of the exposure of the person before the faith of the metaphorical appearance of the Wall. Further, the chapter focuses on the process of passing through the Wall and the fact that people may need guidance from other individuals.
Chapter 8 is called “The journey outward,” which begins after the full acceptance of God and his love. At this stage, a person acquires full awareness of God’s will and voluntarily succumbs to the direction that the almighty builds for him, despite the possible consequences (Hagberg & Guelich, 2005). Moreover, the section notes that it is often difficult for people to verbalize their experiences at this stage, which is entirely natural since there are no words that can write them. The authors also provide a description of the main aspects that are included in the fifth stage of the journey.
Chapter 9 delves into the consideration of a person’s life in faith and the place of love in it. The authors “at this stage, we reflect God to others in the world more clearly and consistently than we ever thought possible” (Hagberg & Guelich, 2005, p. 152). This stage also determines the need to follow the direction determined by God, to find meaning and value in suffering, and to respect and show love to other people. At this stage, people realize what God represents to them and what place he and his love and blessing occupy in their lives.
Chapter 10 is called “stages of faith and spiritual formation.” Thus, it focuses on explaining why it is vital for individuals to pass the earlier stages and what value they represent for them as followers of religion. Therefore, it is underlined that “stage 1 humbles us, stage 2 grounds us, stage 3 rewards and exalts us, stage 4 unsettles us, the Wall unmasks us, stage 5 transforms us, and stage 6 transcends us” (Hagberg & Guelich, 2005, p. 162). Moreover, in this section, the authors provide a brief description of each stage of the critical journey and what questions should be raised by individuals to realize the effectiveness of their passage.
Chapter 11, “The ministry, the church, and stages of faith and power,” examines in more detail what role institutions such as the ministry and the church have at each stage of the journey to the knowledge of faith and God. Moreover, it provides other unique knowledge regarding aspects such as the relation of biblical heroes to each stage and the place of God’s grace. Furthermore, it is worth noting that this section provides information on what kind of power is characteristic of each stage, for example, the power of reflection for the fourth stage or the power of achievement for the third stage (Hagberg & Guelich, 2005). This contributes significantly to the expansion of the context of these points in the comprehension of God and faith by man.
Chapter 12, “Stages of power and stewardship,” provides a pool of knowledge gathered by the authors regarding various perspectives regarding power and stewardship. Thus, they provide a description of what the models of power are and the perspectives of the parishioner and the church and its leaders. The book states that “the concept of stewardship comes from the Biblical injunction to be wise stewards of our resources” (Hagberg & Guelich, 2005). In addition, the main idea is that it implies a donation on the part of the individual. Further, the section offers a description of each individual stage of power that accompanies the stages of the journey to God and religion. For most people, stewardship is linked to a particular time of the church year, which varies with denominations, in which we are called upon to pledge the amount of time, energy, and money we will give to the work of the church in the coming year.
Chapter 13 is called “Reflections on the wall,” and deeper focuses on a further explanation of the Wall and what people experience where. Therefore, the authors emphasize that despite the darkness that may accompany people at this stage, it is essential to remember that God always accompanies them and trust in his will. This stage involves conducting profound reflection on the attitude towards the Almighty, awareness of one’s own spirituality, and attitude to the truth as a tool for liberation.
The last Chapter, 14, provides answers to the main questions that may arise when reading “The critical journey, stages in the life of faith.” They are brief and understandable explanations of concepts6 that could cause difficulties in understanding for the reader (Hagberg & Guelich, 2005). Moreover, they are a summary of the main points of the book and what the authors wanted to convey to the public. The study of this chapter allows people to consolidate the knowledge gained and find answers to the questions that have arisen.
I believe that the book “The critical journey, stages in the life of faith” can be applied to my life. This is due to the fact that it applies in terms of religion and ministry context. Therefore, in my personal life, it provides me with a clearer and deeper understanding of faith and what a person goes through to gain it. Regarding leadership, it gives me an awareness of the essential aspects that give us strength and how God is the main helper and guide for individuals. While reading, I had a few questions that were then answered in the last section of the book. I was concerned about how practical the application of the described stages is for people with psychological problems. The authors explained in detail and clearly each concept provided in the book and gave me a clearer understanding of religion and faith for me.
Reference
Hagberg, J. O. & Guelich, R. A. (2005). The critical journey, stages in the life of faith. Sheffield Publishing Company.
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