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ABSTRACT
This paper uses the pastoral cycle to facilitate a dialogue between Faith Development Theory (FDT) and the theology of Christian formation concerning the practice of ‘discipleship pathways’ within pluralist contexts. Firstly, the general experience of pathways in local churches is elucidated by synthesizing three distinct examples of pathways and noting how pluralist contexts challenge it. FDT is then explored, and its points of divergence with pathways are noted. Following this, the reflection presents points of correlation between FDT and the theology of Christian formation, and argues that disciples mature primarily through encountering the Spirit via spiritual disciplines, which results in their inner person being aligned with God’s will, and being motivated to incarnate the fullness of Jesus among people with differing moral and religious values. From this, alterations to pathways are suggested that focus on the principles of ‘spiritual direction’, which better connect pathways with disciples who inhabit pluralist societies.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Malphurs, Advanced Strategic Planning, 195.
2 Barrett, “Give up Childish Ways,” 256–7.
3 Ballard and Pritchard, Practical Theology in Action, 85–6.
4 Ibid., 85.
5 Warren, Purpose Driven Church, 130.
6 Putman, Real-Life Discipleship.
7 Schreiner and Willard, Stride.
8 Putman, Real-Life Discipleship, 78.
9 Schreiner and Willard, Stride, 37; and Warren, Purpose Driven Church, 309.
10 Putman, Real-Life Discipleship, 94–101; Schreiner and Willard, Stride, 37–40; and Warren, Purpose Driven Church, 315–18.
11 Putman, Real-Life Discipleship, 114–22; Schreiner and Willard, Stride, 40–1; and Warren, Purpose Driven Church, 348–50.
12 Putman, Real-Life Discipleship, 131–7; and Schreiner and Willard, Stride, 41–4.
13 Warren, Purpose Driven Church, 365–82; and Saddleback Church, “CLASS.”
14 Schreiner and Willard, Stride, 41.
15 Putman, Real-Life Discipleship, chap. 11.
16 Schreiner and Willard, Stride, xiii.
17 Putman, Real-Life Discipleship, 32–3; Schreiner and Willard, Stride, 29; and Warren, Purpose Driven Church, 103–7.
18 Putman, Real-Life Discipleship, 39–40; Schreiner and Willard, Stride, 67; and Warren, Purpose Driven Church, 145.
19 Bingham, “Brains, Bodies, and the Task of Discipleship,” 38.
20 Kinnaman and Hawkins, You Lost Me; and Packard and Hope, Church Refugees.
21 Packard and Hope, Church Refugees, 79–81 and 106–8; and Kinnaman and Hawkins, You Lost Me, 171.
22 Jamieson, A Churchless Faith, chap. 3.
23 Ibid., 145–51.
24 Ballard and Pritchard, Practical Theology in Action, 85–6.
25 Ibid., chap. 8.
26 Fowler, Stages of Faith.
27 Ibid., 38; and Streib, “Faith Development Theory Revisited,” 144.
28 Fowler, Stages of Faith, chap. 23.
29 Ibid., 272–3.
30 Streib, Chen, and Hood, “Religious Development as Change,” 2.
31 Maddix, Kim, and Estep, Understanding Faith Formation, 53–5; and Piper, “Faith Development: A Critique of Fowler,” sec. Critique of Fowler’s Model.
32 Fowler, Stages of Faith, 114–21.
33 Ibid., chap. 16.
34 Ibid., chap. 17.
35 Fowler, Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian, 45.
36 Fowler, Stages of Faith, chap. 18.
37 Ibid., chap. 19.
38 Ibid., chap. 20.
39 Fowler, Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian, 54.
40 Fowler, Stages of Faith, 200.
41 Ibid., 293.
42 Ibid., 205.
43 Ibid., 209–11.
44 Fowler, Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian, 68.
45 Ballard and Pritchard, Practical Theology in Action, 86.
46 Ibid., 130–1.
47 Swinton and Mowat, Practical Theology and Qualitative Research, 79, 82 and 84.
48 Fowler, Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian, 40.
49 Jones and Wilder, “Faith Development and Christian Formation,” 189.
50 Ford-Grabowsky, “Journey of a Pilgrim,” 112.
51 Osmer, Practical Theology, 4.
52 Hindmarsh, “End of Faith,” 70–1.
53 Maddix, Kim, and Estep, Understanding Faith Formation, 50.
54 Collicutt, Psychology of Christian Character Formation, 5.
55 Hindmarsh, “End of Faith,” 66–70.
56 Liefeld, Ephesians, sec. Ephesians 4:12–16.
57 Maddix, “Spiritual Formation and Christian Formation,” 240–1.
58 Collicutt, Psychology of Christian Character Formation, 160–1.
59 Ibid., 165.
60 Ibid., 167.
61 Ibid., 174.
62 Brown, Dahl, and Reuschling, Becoming Whole and Holy, 135.
63 Ibid., 48.
64 Kärkkäinen, Christian Theology in the Pluralistic World, 7.
65 Collicutt, Psychology of Christian Character Formation, 166.
66 Edwards, Luke, 386.
67 Goheen, Introducing Christian Mission Today, 95 and 97.
68 Collicutt, Psychology of Christian Character Formation, 15–19.
69 Vondey, Pentecostal Theology, 228.
70 Wells, Incarnational Mission.
71 Collicutt, Psychology of Christian Character Formation, 4; and Maddix, “Spiritual Formation and Christian Formation,” 241.
72 Rabens, “Ethics and the Spirit in Paul,” 273.
73 Carder, “A Wesleyan Understanding of Grace.”
74 Vondey, Pentecostal Theology, 63–5.
75 Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 65–6 and 153.
76 Willard, Renovation of the Heart, 121.
77 Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 67.
78 Richie, “Approaching the Problem of Religious Truth,” 356–9.
79 Warrington, Pentecostal Theology.
80 Streib, Chen, and Hood, “Religious Development as Change,” 9.
81 Greene, “The Great Divide,” 4–5.
82 Hudson, Scattered and Gathered, 51.
83 Ibid., 53.
84 Terpstra, “Exit Stage Left.”
85 Newbigin, Proper Confidence, 100.
86 Staton, Searching for Enough, 206.
87 McGrath, Mere Apologetics, sec. Apologetics and Postmodernity.
88 Gaultiere and Gaultiere, Journey of the Soul, 194–5.
89 Majerus, “Differentiation of Self and Christian Spiritual Maturity,” 43–5.
90 Newitt, “Role and Skills of a Chaplain,” 106.
91 Walters and Bradley, “Chaplaincy and Evangelism,” 148.
92 Ballard and Pritchard, Practical Theology in Action, chap. 11.
93 Goheen, Introducing Christian Mission Today, 246.
94 Gaultiere, “What Is a Spiritual Director?”
95 Fryling, “What Happens in Group Spiritual Direction?”
96 Alpha International, Alpha Team Guide.
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James Seager
James Seager completed a Master of Arts Degree in Spring 2022 with Regents Theological College (Malvern, UK), during which his studies focussed on discipleship, spiritual formation, and Christian leadership.