The Spirituality of Deconstruction in United States Theological Schools
This study explores how graduate theology students experience and reshape their spiritual practices through "deconstruction," particularly in relation to embodiment, nature, activism, and syncretism, across four types of theological schools. It finds that while institutions often respond ambivalently, the spirituality of deconstruction can simultaneously challenge and revitalize religious institutions amid broader institutional decline. Read more
What Do Spiritual Formation Practices Look Like Among Graduate Theology Students? Implications for Faculty Teaching
This article describes a preliminary and exploratory longitudinal study examining the spiritual formation practices of graduate theology students as they move through their program of study. It uses the relational spirituality model as a theoretical framework to measure connection with God, spiritual dwelling, and spiritual seeking/questing. Read more
Virtues as Mediators of the Associations Between Religious/Spiritual Commitment and Well‑being
Religious/spiritual commitment tends to show positive associations with wellbeing, and yet, questions remain about the mechanisms for the association. Some have recently proposed that virtues may mediate the religious/spiritual commitment – wellbeing association. However, empirical support for this mediating role stems largely from cross-sectional studies. Further, scholars have increasingly drawn attention to validity concerns when studying religiousness/spirituality, virtues, and wellbeing. Read more
Theories and Practical Models of Spiritual Formation in Theological Education
In theological education, spiritual formation is regarded as an indispensable aspect of nurturing future church pastors and leaders. However, as of now, the literature discussing the theoretical concepts and practical models of spiritual formation remains limited. There are variations in the understanding and implementation of spiritual formation among different theological institutions, and disagreements exist even among leaders within the same institution. Read more
The Influence of Experiential Avoidance, Humility and Patience on the Association Between Religious/Spiritual Exploration and Well‑Being
Prior research on the religiousness/spirituality—well-being association has largely neglected the dimension of religious/spiritual exploration, and the recent trend examining virtues, religiousness/spirituality, and well-being has predominantly involved cross-sectional data. We expanded prior research by analyzing a longitudinal model consisting of three waves of data… Read more
The Impact of Financial Health on the Spiritual, Mental, and Relational Health of Christian Graduate Students
Financial stress is a growing concern for Americans. One population that is particularly susceptible to financial stress and its negative consequences are students enrolled in seminaries—many of whom will graduate with large amounts of debt while entering a profession with unique financial challenges that can make repaying student loan debt a daunting task. Read more
Voicing the Mystery: Qǝne Project Trailer
Qǝne (ቅኔ) is extemporaneous spiritual poetry composed in the context of Christian worship and social events, inspired by both Scripture and Tradition. It represents a unique, living heritage of the Täwaḥǝdo (ተዋሕዶ) Christian tradition. Watch trailer
The Experience of Financial Well‑Being, Shame, and Mental Health Outcomes in Seminary Students
The experience of pursuing a graduate seminary education is rife with many stressors, including the heavy financial burden required to fund a seminary degree. Shame, understood as an experience of being unworthy and inadequate at one’s core, may be a natural reaction to financial hardship, as many individuals may believe their inadequacy is the cause of their financial difficulties. Read more.
Spiritual Formation in Theological Education: A Multi-case Exploration on Seminaries and Student Development
In recent decades, theological schools have demonstrated increased interest in educational models that not only transmit knowledge and skill to students, but also prepare them to have the character and virtue dispositions needed to successfully navigate the moral challenges that await them in future ministry settings. Read more
Problems and Prospects for the Measurement of Christian Seminarian Formation: Spiritual Measurement and the ‘Uncertainty Principle’
Spiritual and ethical formation are a central responsibility of institutions of theological education, and it matters how well these institutions carry out this core task. Yet formation and the measurement of formation face an array of both theological and practical challenges. The present essay surveys these challenges and responses that have been developed to date. Read more
Longitudinal Associations for Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Social Justice, and Compassion Among Seminary Students
Religious leaders shape values related to social order and social justice, prompting theological education to better prepare students for a diverse and unequal world. While right-wing authoritarianism is linked to prejudice and resistance to social change, little research has explored its relationship to social justice commitment and compassion. Read more
New Study Explores Diversity, Justice Among Seminary Faculty and Students From Spiritual formation View
There is growing empirical research that sheds light on healthy spiritual formation capacities among seminary faculty and students committed to diversity and justice. We believe this research offers new angles and strategies within theological education for integrating diversity and justice with growth in spiritual formation for both students and faculty. Faith leaders can help their communities constructively engage diversity and social justice, and this involves key aspects of their own spiritual formation. Read more.
Meditations on Asian Christian Spiritualities
This essay explores how to engage the complex challenges surrounding Asian Christian spiritualities by presenting seven interconnected meditations rooted in the diasporic experience. It emphasizes a transformative, transcultural approach that weaves together personal, historical, political, and theological dimensions to envision more truthful and embodied spiritual practices. Read more
Measuring the Spiritual, Character, and Moral Formation of Seminarians: In Search of a Meta-Theory of Spiritual Change
Theological schools are well situated to create intentional cultures for the purpose of spiritual formation. Indeed, most schools of theology have this goal as an essential part of their mission as well as a requirement for continued accreditation. And yet, the measurement of spiritual formation over time is fraught with challenges. Read more
Latent Profiles of Seminary Students’ Perceptions of Sense of Community Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
Existing research on sense of community in educational contexts shows positive associations with well-being and negative associations with mental health symptoms. However, exploration of students’ sense of community within the seminary context is minimal. Drawing on the relational spirituality model, which posits oscillating experiences of dwelling and seeking in a dialectical growth process, we framed sense of community as horizontal dwelling. Read more
Experiential Avoidance Mediates the Relationship between Prayer Type and Mental Health before and through the COVID-19 Pandemic
This study examined how different types of prayer affect mental health outcomes among seminary students during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that colloquial, liturgical, and meditative prayer were associated with lower levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout. These relationships were fully mediated by lower experiential avoidance, suggesting that certain prayer practices support mental health by helping students stay engaged through struggle. Read more.
Ecumenical and Traditioned Measurement: Measuring Christian Maturation Across Distinct Traditions of Christian Spirituality
The aim of this article is to explore some of the challenges of measuring Christian spiritual development across distinct traditions of Christian spirituality. This presses into questions of what might be universal and what might be particular when it comes to Christian spirituality in how it is understood and practiced. Read more
Does Christianity Work?
How would we know if Christianity works? More significantly, our sense of “work” here is different. For Smith, Christianity works if it still persists in some manner—that is to say, Christianity works when there remain identifiable Christians committed to identifiable Christianity. Read more
Compassion and Humility as Predictors of Justice and Diversity Commitments Among Seminary Faculty
In 2017, the Association of Theological Schools sponsored the Preparing for 2040 Initiative to help theological schools and seminaries respond to the growing diversity in faith communities. Read more
(Re)Framing Resilience: A Trajectory-Based Study Involving Emerging Religious/Spiritual Leaders
This study examined the resilience of 751 emerging religious leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying a subgroup that demonstrated sustained resilience across three data collection waves. Researchers used a critical and historical framework to define resilience based on high initial stress, risk factors like low religiosity and marginalization, and protective transformative experiences that led to improved well-being. Read more.