Celebration of Discipline: A Path to Spiritual Growth. Spiritual Formation is a process of becoming more Christ-like. While initially aimed at academic and pastoral leadership, Houston notes that the Protestant ideal of the priesthood of all believers pushed churches to expand this formative ideal to all individuals.[17]. And yet we rarely spend time developing our inner life. THE THREE AGES OF THE INTERIOR LIFE Prelude of Eternal Life by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. Definition of spiritual formation in the Definitions.net dictionary. From a Christian standpoint, most would argue that it is identical with sanctification as understood as a progressive and gradual process of maturation. Despite various attempts, there has been little success in formalizing a definition for spiritual formation within the Evangelical and Protestant world. Christians have a responsibility to discern and promote truth in our conversations about spirituality within and outside of the church. If you are being discipled well, it means the person investing in you recognizes that … For the book by Diogenes Allen, see, The examples and perspective in this article, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Foster, Richard. Spiritual formation is about the1) development of a person’s spirit and 2) growth of an intimate relationship between a person and God. However, the history of spiritual formation as a specific movement within 20th century Protestantism is possible. Meaning of spiritual formation. Courses focused specifically on spiritual formation are one credit in length, allowing students to easily incorporate one spiritual formation course per semester into their degree program. Our spirit is the most important part of who we are. Spiritual Formation: A movement that has provided a platform and a channel through which contemplative prayer is entering the church. [18], "Spiritual theology" redirects here. To accomplish in part through the learning and practice of spiritual disciplines such as meditating on scripture, practicing silence and solitude, and listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Within spiritual formation courses students get academic content, formational experiences, small-group accountability, and fellowship. All rights reserved. The processes may include, but are not limited to, My spiritual formation definition begins and ends with the Triune God. Quaker theologian Richard Foster in his book, Celebration of Discipline,[16] includes several internal, external, and corporate disciplines one should engage in through his or her Christian life. Note: Portions of this page are excerpted from an article written by Portland Seminary professor and lead mentor of the Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation program MaryKate Morse. [11] Additionally, in the contemporary Christian tradition, many have emphasized the growth of multiple aspects of the human person, distinguishing between faculties such as the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual, all of which must be developed in tandem for the maturity of the whole person. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape of man", oriented at "the image of God" as exemplified by the founders and sacred texts of the religions of the world. We offer traditional spiritual formation courses such as those focused on prayer and spiritual life, as well as specialty courses to give students various pathways for growth. Sending your children to a Christian school would fall under the wide canopy of spiritual formation. What is the definition of spiritual formation? Spiritual disciplines, as a strategy towards spiritual formation, have risen and fallen in popularity over the centuries. SEFS601 Intro to Spiritual Formation. These include the following: Spiritual formation in general has been integral to most religions, including Christianity. The spiritual formation movement is characterized by such things as contemplative prayer, contemplative spirituality, and Christian mysticism. [citation needed] Christianity asserts two things: first, transformation of the heart is a work only God can accomplish, and second, we are saved not by our works or efforts, but by God's grace, that is, His unmerited favor;[citation needed] the church has often been tempted to marginalize the usefulness of these disciplines so as not be confused with preaching "justification by works". Spiritual formation in the tradition of Jesus Christ is the process of transformation of the inmost dimension of the human being, the heart, which is the same as the spirit or will. Only the Spirit can bring about spiritual formation. The book focuses on how people can grow in Christlikeness by participating in reading of Scripture, the means of grace, the sacraments, and spiritual disciplines. Why do some people grow in their faith and maturity while others go about it Spiritual formation (and discipleship), in other words, is about love. Such persons dismiss it because of this trendiness, but others have argued that to relegate it only to a small sub-group within the church is to neglect its necessity to Christian practice. I w Such disciplines may be understood as means of exercising and strengthening one's religious and spiritual capacities,[13] a means of accessing a spiritual reality directly,[14] or a manner of making oneself available to the activity of God.[15]. Spiritual definition is - of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit : incorporeal. Spiritual Formation is a process, but it is also a journey through which we open our hearts to a deeper connection with God. Discipleship, however, is a kind of Spiritual Formation. That’s what Spiritual Formation is all about. The religious ideal typically presupposes that one be changed in some manner through interaction with spiritual realities. definition for spiritual formation and presented it in the Renovare International Conference during the same year. Some theologians like to start the stages with an absolute unawareness of God. This formative perspective began to spread into and was adopted by the Association of Theological Schools, and as an increasing number of evangelical schools began joining them in the 1970s and 1980s, the ideals spread throughout the academic and theological strata of Christianity, particularly in the United States. Therefore, spiritual formation requires individuals to stop the frenetic pace of life and think critically—to reflect—about the actions, attitudes, and relationships that define their lives. In broad terms, spiritual formation is the process of spiritual shaping and growth. I prefer the term spiritual formation because it implies movement and change. Catholic Spiritual Direction – Catholic Spiritual Formation . However other scholars[which?] Spiritual Formation (3) (particularly for the leader) the Moral Temptation: the attempt of the hidden heart (not conscious) to try to perfect oneself in the power of the self, the attempt to use formation, the spiritual disciplines, being good etc., to relieve the burden of spiritual failure, lack of love and the guilt and shame that results. Spiritual formation may refer either to the process and practices by which a person may progress in one's spiritual or religious life or to a movement in Protestant Christianity that emphasizes these processes and practices. If the soul is the psyche or conscious mind of a person, then The concentration in Spiritual Formation includes both in-depth theoretical and integrative coursework, employing such disciplines as theology, philosophy, psychology and education as well as experiential-relational soul work in classes and co-curricular requirements to aid in understanding the spiritual … The "spiritual formation movement" refers to the heightened interest in spiritual formation. Our faculties have been corrupted by sin so that we cannot please God. (For if we don’t love ourselves well, we often don’t love others well–just as if you don’t take good care of your car, it won’t help others get around much either.) On a popular level, the formation movement emerged, in part, with the publication of Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline in 1978, which introduced and popularized a set of spiritual disciplines as historical practices beyond Bible study, prayer, and church attendance that may lead to religious maturity and spiritual growth. Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Formation & Discipleship specialization, Spiritual Formation & Discipleship Certificate, All programs offered (online or in Portland). Scripture is quite clear in its insistence that we have fallen short of God’s purposes for our creation. It is being formed (really, transformed) in such a way that its natural expression comes to be the deeds of … The best gift from these special relationships is the act of their listening deeply to us and on our behalf with the Spirit. It includes educational endeavors as well as the more intimate and in-depth process of spiritual direction.”[10], Christian spiritual formation is distinct from other religious perspectives due to the centrality of Jesus as the model of the process and ultimate goal of formation as well as the activity of the Holy Spirit in the believer to develop them toward maturity. This course offers a blend of teaching, discussion, and experiential exercises and includes a regular small-group experience in which group members engage spiritual practice and reflection together. Definition of Spiritual Formation Part of the difficulty in studying spiritual formation which must be recognized from the outset is the extreme variety present in discussions of the topic. PART 1 – The Sources of the Interior Life and Its End (cont) Ch 17: Spiritual Direction. Find spiritual formation being used, and in nearly every case you will find contemplative spirituality. As finite human beings, the containers we construct to understand life and our responsibilities to God are good and wonderful and necessary. Spiritual directors, mentors, pastors, and spiritual friends provide important relationships for reflection, companionship, and sometimes guidance. The focus of spiritual formation is the Holy Spirit, who guides the ongoing journey. How to use spiritual in a sentence. respond by saying that it is not salvation that is at stake, but rather the need to develop people of genuine Christ-like character to live in the world and confront its values. What Is Spiritual Formation. The heart and the will need spiritual formation. True biblical spiritual formation, or spiritual transformation, begins with the understanding that we are sinners living apart from God. [5] It is often referred to as "being conformed to the image of Christ,"[6] being made holy,[7] or the formation of virtue and character. What does spiritual formation mean? The group has defined spiritual formation as the “process of being shaped by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ, filled with love for God and the world” (A Call to Spiritual Formation, 2009). © 2021, George Fox University. “Spiritual Formation,” or the “Ecology of Faith Development.” This subject is an aspect to sanctification meaning our growth in Christ, this encompasses how and why we grow in our faith. Portland Seminary is committed to the spiritual formation of its students so that the church and world might be served by God's best. While some Christians understand spiritual formation to be an integral part of their religion, others perceive it as a diluting of the faith or an attempt by competing religious ideals to infiltrate Christian doctrine and lead adherents astray. Therefore, to trace a historical origin of spiritual formation is to examine the history of religion in general. Spiritual Formation in the Mission-Shaped Church Section 4 11 The Practice of the Discipline A Coventry Way is a common discipline, which is intended to be a structure to help us love God, one another and the world. In simple terms, this book explains that Spiritual formation refers to the transformation of people into, what C.S. I suppose that is why I so deeply resonate with John Piper and his foundational thesis: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” I want to live as a walking hallelujah. [1] Schneiders makes a distinction between the definition of spirituality and the definition of … The processes may include, but are not limited to, There are numerous definitions of spiritual formation and no definitive depiction due to the breadth of the concept and the numerous perspectives from which religious persons may approach it. Spiritual formation is the process of forming or growing the spiritual self. At Grafted Life, we unreservedly claim Jesus, the Son of God, as the cornerstone of our conversation in all matters pertaining to life and growth in true spirituality. Some individuals and organizations, such as Lighthouse Trails Research, interpret spiritual formation as a front for non-Christian mysticism or Roman Catholic influence to enter the Protestant church, which they see as damaging religious doctrine and leading Christians to engage in dangerous practices or leave the faith entirely. Spiritual formation is rooted in and a result of God’s grace. pg v, Spiritual Theology: The Theology of Yesterday for Help Today, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, WELS Topical Q&A: Sanctification and Justification, "The History of Spiritual Formation - James Houston and Bruce Hindmarsh | Open Biola", "Seven Things I Hate About Spiritual Formation", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spiritual_formation&oldid=1003637373, Articles needing additional references from April 2007, All articles needing additional references, Articles needing more viewpoints from April 2011, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from April 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Specific techniques of prayer and meditation, A lifestyle integrating spiritual disciplines or exercises, Understanding and practice of historical religious philosophy and techniques, The knowledge and expression of the truth of God and of self. James Houston traces the history of the movement to post-Vatican II reformers within the Roman Catholic church, who sought to find ways to educate and train new priests in a manner that was appropriate to Vatican II ideals. process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the glory of God and for the sake of others (II Corinthians 3:17-18 Some relationships often hinder spiritual growth as much as foster it. He states spiritual formation as: 1) a process, 2) of being conformed, 3) to the image of Christ, 4) for the sake of others. It does not corporate disciplines, completed within the body of the church: This page was last edited on 29 January 2021, at 23:16. The definition has cut Formation is an organic, life-long, and holistic process involving right thinking (orthodoxy), right behaviors (orthopraxy), and right feelings (orthopathy) of individuals and communities. Practices such labyrinth walking or contemplative prayer or lectio divina are good, but they do not necessarily result in formation. However, most students of the divine tend to agree that the first step towards developing a real spiritual life begins with the recognition that something is … My working definition of spiritual formation is fourfold: (1) a process (2) of being formed (3) in the image of Christ (4) for the sake of others. This is, admittedly, a personal preference and I will use the terms interchangeably throughout this paper. And in many ways, it's the gateway for the outworking of the intentional spiritual formation we are looking for in the rest of our life. But, in the end, they are only containers. It’s a fluid concept, with a wide range of accepted meanings and applications. I am preoccupied with His glory. Spiritual formation is a process that sharpens our attentiveness to God and helps us to be more and more like Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit. [8][9] In Care of Mind, Care of Spirit, psychiatrist Gerald G. May offers, “Spiritual formation is a rather general term referring to all attempts, means, instruction, and disciplines intended towards deepening of faith and furtherance of spiritual growth. Spiritual formation is the process of becoming what God intended us to be, in Christ. Spiritual formation may refer either to the process and practices by which a person may progress in one's spiritual or religious life or to a movement in Protestant Christianity that emphasizes these processes and practices. Lewis calls, little Christs. God initiates the process of spiritual formation.2 Spiritual direction should be numbered among the exterior means of sanctification. In the end, there may not be a need for a universal definition, though it could potentially simplify some discussion. The Spirit and the written Word, and the indwelling Christ help us to experience “living water,” which flows out of our innermost being (John 7:37-38), coming from the depths of our identities and our communities. The response is submission. Information and translations of spiritual formation in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Because the term has only recently become widely used, an important task for scholarship at the present time is to define the topic properly and explain clearly how it should be expressed in a believer’s life. Of course, one reads historical and modern literature extensively to develop these ideas, ... definition of body, soul, and spirit. Educating the mind is not enough. Somewhat of a modern lexical invention, the term “spiritual formation” refers to a concept that is almost ubiquitous in Scripture. Spiritual Formation Stage 1: The Searching. [12], Because the popular understanding of Protestant spiritual formation in the current era arose around a discussion of spiritual disciplines, as noted below, those disciplines have played a significant role in its conceptualization and practice. SPIRITUAL FORMATION Definition Prairie Bible Institute has accepted the definition of spiritual formation as the Holy Spirit-directed process of Christ being formed in us1 for the sake of God’s glory and the benefit of others. Love for God first, love for others, and indeed, loving ourselves well. These common factors should characterise all Christian people. Dallas Willard defined spiritual formation as “the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it … Spiritual disciplines are the tools of spiritual formation. Because spiritual formation has been used, in recent decades, to describe a loose but semi-coherent set of practices and ideals within American Protestantism, many have accused it of merely being a "fad". To be attentive and receptive to the Spirit’s formative work in us, we engage the spiritual disciplines, and recognize that formation happens best in diverse communities. We are glad that you may be asking this question. (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998). The Spirit and the written Word, and the in-dwelling Christ help us to experience ‘living water’ which flows out of our innermost being (Jo… Every course we offer has spiritual formation components built into it. Because all people have spirits, spiritual formation happens in all people. In fact, contemplative spirituality is the heartbeat of the spiritual formation movement. (Robert, M. Page 15) This definition of spiritual formation, as long as clearly comprehended, can be an influence in the way we as Christians live our entire life. Often a faith community will emphasize one or more of the three spheres; such as thoughts and behaviors to the exclusion of feelings, or feelings and behaviors to the exclusion of thoughts. Christian spiritual formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and for the sake of others (II Corinthians 3:17-18).