Spiritual Formation and Christian Education

Especially in Baptist circles, the question frequently arises, "What ever happened to Christian education?"  No doubt this question is often raised in response to the significant amount of spiritual formation language that is now being used among people who have historically placed a high priority on Christian education.  It is important then to note the relationship between Christian education and Christian spiritual formation.

The term "Christian spiritual formation" speaks to the holistic formation of a Christian person into the character of Jesus.  This holistic formation includes an experience of God in Jesus that transcends knowledge and, at times, language.  Its goal is Christ-likeness. 

Christian education on the other hand, refers to a body of knowledge thought essential to the development of a well-rounded Christian.  Both of these terms have in common the development of a person; one term uses the word formation rather than development and the other the word education. 

By virtue of our being spiritual beings, everything that happens to us has potential for spiritual formation.  Christian spiritual formation declares an intent to become like Jesus.  In short, what happened to Christian education was post-modernism and with it a move from an emphasis on knowledge to experience. 

For more information about the difference between Christian Spiritual Formation and Christian Religious Education, see Timothy Brock's presentation given at the Spiritual Formation Network luncheon in Memphis, TN on June 12, 2008: Being Transformed and Transformative: An Approach to Personal Spiritual Formation for Christian Educators.