I actually came across this in a review of the book Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered in JETS (the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society). I haven’t actually read the book, but the review by Abraham Kuruvilla of Dallas Theological Seminary (how ’bout that, I’m quoting a Dispensationalist) made enough of an impression on me way back in 2009 that it has stuck with me all these years. What I’d like to focus on here is these six myths, or false models, of spiritual formation:
- the quick-fix model that believes one can be “zapped” into spirituality;
- the facts-only model that gravitates towards information as the incentive for growth;
- the emotional model that overbalances into the deep zone of spiritual experiences;
- the conference model that seeks to attain “mountaintop experiences” in large ad hoc assemblies;
- the insight model that inclines toward introspection and self-motivated behavior choices;
- and the faith model that emphasizes, simply, surrender and submission to God.*
I think this is a pretty good list. I know I’ve been at places in my walk where I just wanted God to “fix me” instantly, but when it comes to spiritual growth, God has a part and I have a part. And so popular in our post-enlightenment rationalism based evangelicalism is the reduction of the conversion experience to “make an intellectual ascent to the following 3-5 doctrinal truths…” and you will be saved! On the opposite end of the spectrum, we charismatics have been (often rightly) accused of simply going after spiritual experiences (for their own sake) and equating that with spiritual maturity. And who among us hasn’t returned from summer camp or a “rockin’ Christian conference” only to find that the challenges of our everyday life were waiting for us there at the bottom of the mountain on Monday morning. Introspection is probably the one I gravitate toward the most, as Ignatian spiritual exercises (like Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, etc.) seem to have taken off in popularity within the Vineyard movement lately. But when it is reduced to the power of self to make right, moral choices, surely the power of the Spirit has been left behind! And while faith is certainly a good thing, emphasized by Jesus throughout the gospels (“your faith has made you well”) we’ve all seen the damage of an overemphasis on faith and the power of positive thinking, our own words, and ‘the disease of the heath and wealth gospel’ (to quote the title of the booklet by Gordon Fee).
So what does spiritual formation really come down to? Conforming to the image of Christ is something that happens over time, over the long haul. For one thing, it comes through the practice of the spiritual disciplines (prayer, worship, regular participation in a healthy local body, sitting under good teaching – see Acts 2:42-47; solitude, silence, fasting, Bible reading) over decades, not days. It comes from continuing to go to church regularly even though we don’t “feel like it.” It comes from calling a friend at 2am, when you’d really rather just give in and keep that sin secret, rather than bringing it into the light. It comes from continuing to trust in, cling to, and rely on Christ through financial trials, the death of a loved one, and painful relationship challenges – don’t give up, don’t throw in the towel! Continue with regular devotions through those long dry periods when God seems utterly silent for days, weeks, months on end! It comes from choosing to do the right thing just because you know its the right thing to do, not because you necessarily feel like doing it. Why? Because He said He would be with us, always… even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20)!
So what do you think? What is spiritual formation? Is it different from sanctification or just another way of saying the same thing? How do we achieve it? What is our part and what is God’s part in our spiritual formation? What are some other myths of spiritual formation? Which of the spiritual disciples have you found to be most meaningful in your walk with Christ, most profound in your own spiritual transformation? Let me know in the comments below.
*Quoted from JETS, vol. 52, no. 3, p. 644 with formatting (numbered list, carriage returns) added by me for readability.
I think the idea of relational spirituality is something that gets it right. See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH-clLiabqM
In this model spiritual formation is not reduced down to some particular practices or experiences but our life with God is a process of relational interaction with Him. In this interaction we are formed and changed by the Spirit who uses various means (disciplines, the church meetings, private experiences, charismatic gifts) and processes to impact our souls so that we are little by little transformed towards Christ-likeness.
I haven’t had a chance to watch these videos yet, but I like the idea of “relational spirituality” (with God and with each other). Talk of spiritual formation does tend to focus on practices, actions (e.g. the disciplines) rather than what we’re really after – intimacy with Christ! The disciplines and church events are a means to an end, not the end itself. Thanks for the comment, Matti.
Thanks for the reply! I think spiritual formation and spiritual theology is an exciting topic. By the way, Todd Hall’s lecture is shorter, so start with that if your time is limited.
You are correct that usually our focus is too much on the different practices and things to do. I think this is due to fact that we are by nature “theologians of glory”, as Luther would put it. We want to reach the invisible glory of God by our own efforts rather than being “theologians of the cross”. We don’t really believe that God has accepted us through the folly of the cross and just wants to have fellowship with us.
Great things are happening at the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Talbot. I had the privilege of presenting a paper on a Hermeneutic for Devotional Reading of Scripture at John Coe’s Spiritual Formation Study Group at ETS in 2008.
Sounds, from this video, like relational spirituality has much in common with relational discipleship. See Kenny Burchard’s paper from #SVS2015 http://thinktheology.org/2015/04/17/svs2015-organic-church-forms-within-the-vineyard/