Christianity
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. 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.Disciplines
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. Such disciplines may be understood as means of exercising and strengthening one's religious and spiritual capacities, a means of accessing a spiritual reality directly, or a manner of making oneself available to the activity of God. Spiritual disciplines, as a strategy towards spiritual formation, have risen and fallen in popularity over the centuries. 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; the church has often been tempted to marginalize the usefulness of these disciplines so as not be confused with preaching "justification by works". However other scholars 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. Quaker theologian Richard Foster in his book, ''Celebration of Discipline'', includes several internal, external, and corporate disciplines one should engage in through his or her Christian life. These include the following: * internal disciplines: ** meditation ** prayer ** fasting ** study * external disciplines: ** simplicity ** solitude ** submission ** service * corporate disciplines, completed within the body of the church: ** confession ** worship ** guidance ** celebrationHistory of the Protestant Movement
Spiritual formation in general has been integral to most religions, including Christianity. The religious ideal typically presupposes that one be changed in some manner through interaction with spiritual realities. Therefore, to trace a historical origin of spiritual formation is to examine the history of religion in general. However, the history of spiritual formation as a specific movement within 20th century Protestantism is possible. 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. This formative perspective began to spread into and was adopted by theControversy
Validity of Ideals
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. Some individuals and organizations, such aShort-Term Movement
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". 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.References
{{Reflist Christian personal development Practical theology