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Instructor: Jane Thayer, Ph.D. Session: June 10 to July 5, 2002

Office phone: 471-6703 Home: 473-2516 Class schedule: M-F 1:30 to 3:30

Office: Seminary Hall S228 Location: To be announced

Office hours: Right after class Credits: 2 semester hours

E-mail: thayerja@andrews.edu

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COURSE DESCRIPTION

This doctoral level course examines the contributions of theology and the social sciences to a theoretical understanding of spiritual formation and considers strategies to foster spiritual growth.

Desired Student Outcomes
Content Outline
Readings
Pre-Campus Assignments
Post-Campus Assignments
Reference List
Formative Testing

Revised 2-7-02

Caveat: Many of the following questions would each require a full course to answer thoroughly. Even though we are taking an in-depth look at spiritual growth, we cannot probe deeply into each of its many aspects. Because this is a doctoral level course, the instructor intends that the foundations of, and the key issues in, spiritual growth will be explored by students and prove to be useful in their research and in their personal lives.

1. What is the evidence that human beings need spiritual transformation and growth?
1. Fallen nature of human beings
2. Behavioral evidence; culture
3. Biblical metaphors
4. Felt need



2. According to the biblical record, what is the journey and what is the goal of spiritual growth?
1. Discipleship
2. Christlikeness



3. How has God provided for human redemption?
1. Christ as Savior
2. Christ as Lord
3. Christ as intercessor
4. Holy Spirit



4. What are key biblical metaphors for the spiritual growth of Christians?
1. New birth
2. Growth
3. Transformation



5. Throughout its history, how has Western Christianity conceptualized the Christian life?
1. Key metaphors
2. Major movements
3. Classic devotional literature



6. Drawing from the social sciences, what do the developmentalists contribute to an understanding of spiritual growth?
1. Psychosocial tradition: Freud, Erikson
2. Humanist tradition: Maslow, Rogers
3. Structuralist tradition: Piaget, Kohlberg, Gilligan
4. Analytical tradition: Jung
5. Theological critique of developmental theories



7. Drawing from the social sciences, what do the transformationalists contribute to an understanding of spiritual growth?
1. Adult learning as transformation: Mezirow
2. Transformation logic: Loder



8. Drawing from the social sciences, what does learning theory contribute to an understanding of spiritual growth?
1. Behaviorist orientation
2. Cognitive orientation
3. Humanist orientation
4. Social learning orientation
5. Constructivism



9. How have theorists from a variety of disciplines conceptualized the process of spiritual transformation and growth?
1. Classic tradition
2. Protestant spiritual renewal: Lovelace
3. Faith development: Fowler, Parks, and others
4. Spiritual disciplines: Willard, Foster, Mulholland, and others
5. Logic of the Spirit: Loder



10. Through the integration of theology and the social sciences, how have theorists attempted to explain the interaction of the divine and the human for spiritual growth?
1. Body and spirit: Willard
2. Holy Spirit and human spirit: Loder
3. Personality and piety: Mulholland



11. How does human diversity affect spiritual growth?
1. Age related variables
2. Cultural, socio-economic, setting, and other variables



12. How can one design a theoretical model of spiritual growth that has significant explanatory power?
1. Example of the Thayer model
2. Bringing together contributions from the Bible, theology, and the social sciences
3. Centering the model on a response to Christ



13. How can one design a plan to foster spiritual growth for a selected group?
1. Selecting the group
2. Basics of curriculum development
3. Instructional strategies for attitude and behavior changes



14. How can one assess spiritual indicators to determine what interventions are needed or to determine how effective interventions have been?
1. Qualitative measures
2. Quantitative measures
   

This reading list is like a treasure hunt. The readings here will introduce you to a wide range of resources related to spiritual growth. (It will take some hunting to assemble them.) I have found no single book, or even 2 or 3 books, that capture the complexity of spiritual growth. In presenting the list, I have given the readings first as they relate to specific outcomes. At the end of this presentation, there is a simple bibliographic list with complete information for locating the sources. You may prefer to use that.

You may not need to read all of the sources listed here. And you may find superior sources dealing with the same topics. (Having the readings listed according to outcomes will help you understand the purpose for each reading.)

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Blazen, Ivan. (2000). Salvation. In Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist theology (Vol. 12, pp. 271-313). Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald.

Dunn, Richard R. (2001). Shaping the spiritual life of students. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity.

Foster, R. J. (1988). Celebration of discipline (Rev. ed.). San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.

Gangel, K. O., & Wilhoit, J. C. (Eds.). (1994). The Christian educator's handbook on spiritual formation. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, Scripture Press.

Helminiak, Daniel A. (1987). Spiritual development: An interdisciplinary study. Chicago: Loyola University Press.

Hill, Peter C. & Hood, Ralph W., Jr. (Eds.). (1999). Measures of religiosity. Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press.

Hoekema, Anthony A. 1987. The Reformed perspective. In Five views on sanctification by Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson McQuilkin, and John F. Walvoord, 61-90. Grand Rapids, MI: Academic Books, Zondervan.

LeFever, Marlene. (1985/1996). Creative teaching methods, (Rev. printing). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Ministry Resources.

Loder, James E. (1989). The transforming moment. 2d ed. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Helmers and Howard.

Loder, James E. (1998). The logic of the Spirit: Human development in theological perspective. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Lovelace, Richard F. (1979). Dynamics of spiritual life: An evangelical theology of renewal. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity.

Lownsdale, S. (1997). Faith development across the life span: Fowler's integrative work. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 25 (1), 49-63.

Merriam, S. B., & Caffarella, R. S. (1999). Learning in Adulthood (2^nd ed.). (pp. 248-266). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Mezirow, Jack, & Associates. (2000). Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Mulholland, M. Robert. (1993). Invitation to a journey: A road map for spiritual formation. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity.

Parks, S. D. (2000). Big questions, worthy dreams. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Peterson, Eugene H. (1996). Take and read: Spiritual reading: An annotated list. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans

Thayer, Jane. (1996). Assessing participation in the spiritual development modes: Construction and testing of the Christian Spiritual Participation Profile. (Doctoral dissertation, Trinity International University, 1996). Dissertation Abstracts International, 57 (05), 1995. (University Microfilms No. AAC 9631861)

Thayer, Jane, & Thayer, Jerome. (1998). Steps in developing a theory-based Christian spiritual assessment plan. Unpublished document.

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Wilhoit, James C., & Dettoni, John M. (1995). Nurture that is Christian: Developmental perspectives on Christian education. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books/SP Publications.

Wilkins, Michael J. (1992). Following the Master: A biblical theology of discipleship. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Willard, Dallas. (1988/1991). The spirit of the disciplines: Understanding how God changes lives. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.

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