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Reflection Paper #3
Myeshia Napier
Liberty University
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Reflection Paper #3
The Critical Journey by Janet O. Hagberg and Robert A. Guelich delves into the spiritual
voyage that every believer takes throughout their religious lifetime. Hagberg and Guelich outline
six main stages in this journey: the recognition of God, the life of discipleship, the productive
life, the journey inward, the journey outward, and the life of love. The culmination of these six
stages lay the foundation for the critical journey. The Critical Journey discusses in-depth all six
of the stages in the journey of faith, the walls of each of the stages, and how to overcome those
walls to progress along the path of spirituality.
Stage one is the recognition of God. This stage is the starting point for a believer’s
journey. This stage is when an individual first comprehends the existent of a being larger than
oneself. Everything looked with admiration due is at to the lack of knowledge that accompanies
stage one. Hagberg and Guelich describe this kind of awe-filled attitude as child-like, not in the
