Australian College of Ministries, Sydney College of Divinity
Learning, Spiritual Change and Crisis of Faith
Presentation Abstract
Students who are looking to grow and develop in the context of theological education are ultimately embarking on a process of change. It is therefore incumbent upon theological educators to be keenly aware of the dynamics of personal and spiritual change such that they can align their andragogical practices accordingly. This paper will present the findings of a qualitative doctoral research project investigating the dynamics of spiritual change in the lives of emerging and young adults. It will unpack a systems-based model of faith change and illustrating how it functions with examples from the lived experience of emerging adults. This research offers a significant revision of traditional faith formation / stages of faith theory and proposes a new paradigm for understanding how persons internalise faith perspectives (i.e. think for themselves). It offers educators a new way of thinking about faith change and the way theological education participates in the formation journey of students.
Stream(s)
Learning Environment (D.2)
Research & Research Training (D.4)