Rediscovering a Childlike Spirit in an Adult Stage of Faith

There’s a strange paradox in the spiritual life – grown-up religion can learn much from the faith of children. Children possess a natural openness to mystery, embracing what they hear from trusted adults with unquestioning acceptance. Over time, however, this innocence gives way to questioning, doubt, and sometimes cynicism. Yet beyond the skepticism lies a richer, deeper stage of faith – one that blends maturity with a rediscovered sense of awe and wonder.

The Innocence of Early Faith

Marcus Borg, drawing on the insights of French philosopher Paul Ricoeur, describes how our spiritual journey begins with a naïve trust. As children, we accept what parents and mentors tell us about the world and God without skepticism. This wholehearted belief forms a foundation, even if it is simple and unquestioned. A perpetually skeptical child would not be healthy – or happy.

The Critical Phase: Breaking Away and Questioning Everything

As adolescence approaches, a new stage emerges – skepticism. Influenced by a process Carl Jung called individuation, young people begin to claim their own beliefs, often discarding some inherited from their families. This “critical phase,” as Borg calls it, is often intense and painful – for both the maturing child and the parent. While healthy and necessary, it can also trap people in a literalistic mindset, stripping life of mystery and awe.

When Skepticism Becomes a Stopping Point

For many, skepticism becomes a permanent resting place. In a culture dominated by a “scientific” way of seeing the world, anything that cannot be measured or explained is often rejected. This paradox offers neat answers but misses the richness of paradox, the beauty of unanswerable questions, and the depth of the spiritual experience.

The Second Naïveté: Mature Faith with Childlike Wonder

Mature faith, Borg suggests, is “post-critical” – a second naïveté. This stage does not return to the simplicity of childhood, but instead integrates experience, reason, and openness to mystery. It can live with paradox, embrace competing truths, and see value in both science and spirituality. Most importantly, it reclaims the ability to stand in awe, as children do, yet with the depth and wisdom of adulthood.

A SImplicity on the Other SIde of Complexity

Oliver Wendell Holmes captures this beautifully: “I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for simplicity on the other side of complexity.” The second naïveté is that simplicity on the far side of life’s complexities – a place where we can once again see the world with wonder. As my daughter once said, holding her kite at age four, “It feels like the wind is trying to steal my kite!” In her words, I heard both playful delight and a profound truth about the power of life – truths visible only when we remain open to awe.

Living Fully in Mystery and Wonder

The stages of faith move from innocence to critique, to a renewed embrace of mystery. While we cannot remain in the naïveté of childhood, we can rediscover its openness. A mature faith holds tension, loves without needing agreement, and delights in the beauty of what cannot be explained. In the end, the journey is not about losing wonder, but about finding it again – richer, deeper, and more alive than before

Author: Dr Rev Christopher Page

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