Resource Hub
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Vision for ATS Research and Data
Deborah H. C. Gin, ATS Director of Research, traces a decade-long trajectory informing her vision for ATS Research, which bridges theological schools and rigorous data.
KEYWORDS: open access / free access; qualitative research; ATS Student Data and Resources Consultation (2025); presentation (transcribed); ATS Research and Data; theological education as field of study; institutional reporting; industry trends; quantitative research; mixed-methods research; student formation
Student Learning and Formation: Reviewing Standard 3
Stephen R. Graham, ATS Strategic Director of Context and Continuity and Director of Accreditation, examines ATS Standard 3—Student Learning and Formation.
KEYWORDS: open access / free access; ATS Standards of Accreditation (2020); Colloquy article; dimensions of formation; student learning and formation; theological education
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality in Jewish Contexts: A Synthetic Review
Synthetic review of psychology of religion and spirituality in Jewish contexts, using the Relational Spirituality Model (RSM) to organize prior research and outline future directions for empirical study.
KEYWORDS: open access / free access; empirical research; God attachment; Judaism; psychology of religion; relational spirituality; spirituality
Spiritual Formation in Theological Education: A Multi-case Exploration on Seminaries and Student Development
Multi-case exploration of spiritual formation at four seminaries (Fuller, Truett, Talbot, TEDS) addressing the lack of institutional definitions of "personal and spiritual formation" under ATS 2020 standards.
KEYWORDS: character/virtue; spiritual formation; theological education
The Impact of Financial Health on the Spiritual, Mental, and Relational Health of Christian Graduate Students
DESCRIPTION: Financial stress can affect seminary students across multiple dimensions of well-being, including spiritual, mental, and relational health. Using data from 189 students at five theological seminaries, this study examines whether spiritual health helps explain how financial stress relates to broader health outcomes. Structural equation modeling found that spiritual health accounted for part of the negative relationship between financial stress and both mental and relational health. The authors suggest that supporting students’ spiritual health may be an important component of interventions aimed at improving the holistic well-being of seminarians facing financial strain.
KEYWORDS: financial health; financial stress; holistic health; mental health; relational health; seminary students; spiritual health; student debt; student well-being; theological education
The Experience of Financial Well-Being, Shame, and Mental Health Outcomes in Seminary Students
DESCRIPTION: Financial hardship can affect seminary students in ways that extend beyond material strain. Drawing on a sample of 189 graduate students from ATS-accredited seminaries, this study examines relationships among financial well-being, shame, depression, anxiety, and spiritual well-being. The findings show that lower financial well-being was associated with greater shame, which in turn mediated relationships between financial distress and depression, anxiety, and spiritual well-being. The authors suggest that shame may be an important mechanism for understanding the broader psychological and spiritual effects of financial hardship and student debt among seminarians.
KEYWORDS: anxiety; depression; financial distress; financial well-being; mental health; seminary students; shame; spiritual well-being; student debt; student well-being
Relational Spirituality Profiles and Flourishing among Emerging Religious Leaders
Latent profile analysis of 580 emerging religious leaders identifies an "Integrated" profile with balanced dwelling and seeking, displaying the greatest flourishing among five relational spirituality subgroups.
KEYWORDS: flourishing; latent profile analysis; relational spirituality; well-being
Self-Study Handbook
Handbook approved by the ATS Board of Commissioners in April 2020 and revised in 2023 and 2025 to guide member schools through the comprehensive self-study process for accreditation and reaffirmation.
KEYWORDS: open access / free access; ATS Standards of Accreditation (2020); comprehensive visit for accreditation/reaffirmation; educational effectiveness; institutional evaluation; quality assurance; quality improvement; self-study report; theological schools
Christifideles Laici (Christ's Faithful Laity)
Apostolic Exhortation by John Paul II (1988) on the vocation and mission of the lay faithful, articulating integral human formation, secular character, charisms, and formation for mission.
KEYWORDS: catechetical responsibility; Catholicism; charisms / common priesthood; formation for mission; human dignity; integral human formation; laity / lay spirituality; new evangelization; secular character; vocation