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Spiritual Formation
Oct. 7th, 2010 06:26 amThanks to those who responded to my question the other day.
"Spiritual formation" is the process whereby one's spiritual character is developed. It may be undertaken as a conscious, deliberate process, but it doesn't have to be. We all experience spiritual formation through our experiences in life, both the explicitly spiritual and otherwise.
Deliberate spiritual formation takes place in religious education programs (from Sunday Schools to seminaries), in spiritual direction, in personal spiritual practices, in participating in community religious practices, in reflecting, journaling, and reading about spiritual and theological topics.
However, "spiritual formation" occurs whenever something happens to us that shapes our perception of and/or relationship to the Divine, the spiritual, the eternal -- whether in a positive or negative way. The gang member who kills because he or she believes that's the only way sie hirself can survive and have the closest thing sie knows to "a good life" has been spiritually formed as much as the most devout priest or priestess.
The Divine itself also plays a part, as I know most of my friends here can attest.
The question comes up for me because "spiritual formation" in the monotheisms and Buddhism, when engaged in consciously, does so within the very specific contexts of their doctrines and holy books. Christian spiritual formation very often has the goal of "becoming like Christ" (however that is interpreted by a particular community). These faiths have doctrines to adhere to, laws to follow, and doing so shapes the soul. Wrestling with them or being in opposition to them shapes it as well, of course.
These explicit shaping standards are less present in many forms of modern Paganism. I'm curious about the experiences and perceptions of my friends here, and their opinions as to whether this is beneficial/desired or not.
Writing in haste, early in the morning, so I hope this hangs together. . .
"Spiritual formation" is the process whereby one's spiritual character is developed. It may be undertaken as a conscious, deliberate process, but it doesn't have to be. We all experience spiritual formation through our experiences in life, both the explicitly spiritual and otherwise.
Deliberate spiritual formation takes place in religious education programs (from Sunday Schools to seminaries), in spiritual direction, in personal spiritual practices, in participating in community religious practices, in reflecting, journaling, and reading about spiritual and theological topics.
However, "spiritual formation" occurs whenever something happens to us that shapes our perception of and/or relationship to the Divine, the spiritual, the eternal -- whether in a positive or negative way. The gang member who kills because he or she believes that's the only way sie hirself can survive and have the closest thing sie knows to "a good life" has been spiritually formed as much as the most devout priest or priestess.
The Divine itself also plays a part, as I know most of my friends here can attest.
The question comes up for me because "spiritual formation" in the monotheisms and Buddhism, when engaged in consciously, does so within the very specific contexts of their doctrines and holy books. Christian spiritual formation very often has the goal of "becoming like Christ" (however that is interpreted by a particular community). These faiths have doctrines to adhere to, laws to follow, and doing so shapes the soul. Wrestling with them or being in opposition to them shapes it as well, of course.
These explicit shaping standards are less present in many forms of modern Paganism. I'm curious about the experiences and perceptions of my friends here, and their opinions as to whether this is beneficial/desired or not.
Writing in haste, early in the morning, so I hope this hangs together. . .
