Named a Candler Professor at Emory University in 1987, James W. Fowler earned his Ph.D. at Harvard University in Religion and Society in 1971, with a focus in ethics and sociology of religion. He taught at Harvard Divinity School (1969-75) and at Boston College (1975-76). He pursued post-doctoral studies at the Center for Moral Development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (1971-72).

In 1977 he joined the faculty of the Candler School of Theology . His pioneering research and the resulting theory of faith development have earned him international recognition. His best known book, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Development and the Quest for Meaning, is in its 35th printing, and has been translated into German, Korean, and Portuguese editions. Portions of it have been translated into Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Icelandic, Japanese, and an Indonesian Dialect. He has written or edited eleven other books and more than sixty articles, contributing to the fields of practical theology and theological ethics . Four volumes of critical discussion of Fowler's research and theory have emerged from national and international seminars devoted to his work.

He has received the Oskar Pfister Award from the American Psychiatric Association "for enduring contributions to the dialogue between religion and psychiatry" and the William James Award from the American Psychological Association "for contributions that advance the psychology of religion." Both awards came in 1994. In 1999 the University of Edinburgh awarded him a doctor of divinity degree, honoris causa.

Since 1994 Fowler has served as the first full-time director of the Center for Ethics at Emory. In the fall of 2000 he began his second term in that position. He continues to teach frequently in the Candler School of Theology and in the Graduate Division of Religion. He is a minister in the United Methodist Church.