Measuring the Spiritual, Character, and Moral Formation of Seminarians: In Search of a Meta-Theory of Spiritual Change

DESCRIPTION: Theological schools are well situated to create intentional cultures for the purpose of spiritual formation. Indeed, most schools of theology have this goal as an essential part of their mission as well as a requirement for continued accreditation. And yet, the measurement of spiritual formation over time is fraught with challenges. This article seeks to address some of these challenges by means of developing a meta-theory of positive change/growth which would eventually serve as a theoretical basis for the development of a generalizable and reliable measurement tool.

KEYWORDS: psychology of religion; spiritual assessment; spiritual formation; spirituality

CITATION: Porter, Steven L., Steven J. Sandage, David C. Wang, and Peter C. Hill. 2019. "Measuring the Spiritual, Character, and Moral Formation of Seminarians: In Search of a Meta-Theory of Spiritual Change." Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care 12 (1): 5–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/1939790918797481.