Spiritual Formation and Soul Care - Biola University

Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from Biola University is a Campus Master Religious Studies degree that prepares you for a Liberal Arts career. The Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care is designed as a personal growth, academic and professional program for specialized ministry. It is an intensive, integrative program within the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Talbot School of Theology, developed to equip men and women for the ministry of discipleship, spiritual direction, formation and soul care in the local church and for further academic training in Spiritual Formation. Outcomes As a result of this program, the student will: 1. Appreciate and deeply grow in the reality that true Christian spirituality is grounded in the double knowledge and encounter of God and self. Students will understand through experience and theory that growth in Christ is based upon an encounter with God and oneself in the Truth. 2. Understand the Word of God and its role as a primary datum for true Christian spirituality. Students will come to have a sufficient grasp and commitment to the Word of God as a primary source of truth for their understanding of spiritual formation and spiritual direction (through courses in theology, biblical studies, and spiritual formation). 3. Integrate truth from the data of extra-biblical sources of wisdom and true Christian spirituality. Students will also come to appreciate the relevant information from the history of the church, spiritual classics, personal experience, the humanities, and the social sciences relevant to spiritual growth. 4. Discern what is of truth or falsehood in light of various contemporary competing spiritualities. Students will be able to discern truth and error and what is helpful and unhelpful in true Christian spiritual growth in light of various competing contemporary spiritualities. 5. Foster honest self-assessment and humility. Students will gain an honest understanding of themselves in the presence of God and truth through various experiential prayer projects, meditation on the Word, retreats, spiritual direction, and therapy. 6. Develop deeper understanding of the sinful dynamics at work in one's life and others . Students will become more aware of the sinful dynamics that govern their lives and those they will be ministering to as well as a deeper appreciation of the origin of those dynamics from interaction with the Scriptures, psychological theory, philosophy, prayer projects, and personal experience in therapy, retreats, and spiritual direction. 7. Cultivate deeper intimacy with Christ in prayer. Students will personally nurture intimacy in their relationship to Christ in their meditation on the Word, experiential prayer projects, retreats, and personal experience in spiritual direction. 8. Grow in personal commitment to obedience and character of Christ. Students will cultivate growth in character as well as behavior consistent with the faith in their interaction with their spiritual directors, in projects of personal prayer and meditation on the Word, retreats, and therapy. 9. Provide spiritual direction for others. Students will be trained to do spiritual direction by means of courses on the art of spiritual direction, supervision in practical settings, and personal experience in their own spiritual direction (an activity that may be expressed in a variety of venues such as preaching, teaching, group, and individual mentoring). 10. Experience evaluation and supervision in doing spiritual direction. Students will be evaluated in a variety of ways by faculty, practical supervisors, and their spiritual directors to determine their ability, giftedness, and preparedness to provide spiritual direction for others and in what venues. 11. Learn minimal assessment skills adequate to refer spiritual directee to appropriate care beyond competency of one's training. Students will be familiarized with minimal content in psychological categories and assessment with the goal of referring their directee to medical or psychological care. 12. Appreciate the unique cultural dynamics involved in spiritual growth. Students will come to have some appreciation of the unique dynamics involved in teaching, mentoring and doing spiritual direction with believers of varying cultural backgrounds by means of coursework and some practical experience. View more details on Biola University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Religious Studies courses.