M.A. in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care

• Mission and Role
• Goals
• Outcomes
• Objectives
• Admission Requirements
• Graduation Requirements
• Curriculum
• Co-curricular Requirements

Mission and Role

To train servant leaders to know themselves honestly and openly before God and one another in truth, to cultivate intimacy with, growth in, and obedience to Christ, and to help mend souls by the loving power of the Spirit and Word with believers of various cultural backgrounds.

Goals

1. Know one's self honestly and openly before God and others in truth, i.e., in the double knowledge of the reality and presence of God and honest selfassessment, in the truth of the Scriptures, and from knowledge of the natural disciplines that are relevant to personal and spiritual growth.
2. Discern truth from error and what is helpful and unhelpful for true Christian spirituality in light of the various competing spiritualities of our times.
3. Nurture intimacy with Christ.
4. Cultivate spiritual growth and obedience to Christ.
5. Provide spiritual direction and in a potential variety of venues (teaching, group, or individual) for the sake of the growth of the body of Christ.
6. Develop sensitivity and awareness of the unique dynamics of teaching, mentoring, and doing spiritual direction with people of varying cultural backgrounds.

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.

Objectives

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.

The program is shaped around promoting growth in the believer's inner life of faith and prayer with God in the context of a shared community and developed knowledge-base in the Word, spiritual formation and soul care. It focuses specifically on ways to deepen one's knowledge and openness to God and His work as well as understanding of one's self and others in order to grow toward conformity of character and inner life in the image of Christ. In turn, it trains leaders in soul care to be spiritual mentors, directors and teachers who will assist others in their journey of growth in Christ and His body. In order to accomplish this, the program has a substantial emphasis on understanding the dynamics of the Indwelling Holy Spirit as they interface human personality and relational dynamics. These integrative endeavors are enhanced by the Institute's diverse university-wide faculty which draws particularly upon Rosemead School of Psychology and Talbot School of Theology, bringing a wide range of expertise and experience to bear upon the process of human spiritual growth and soul care.

Because the program is experiential, theoretical and mentoring in nature, the Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care is fashioned along the lines of an Apprentice Training Model which includes the following componentsfirst

1. Experiential-relational soul work in classes and co-curricular requirements
2. In-depth theoretical and integrative course work, employing the creation disciplines such as theology, philosophy, psychology and education to aid in understanding the spiritual life and mentoring
3. Various training and service opportunities including (a) coursework designed to train students to do soul care or spiritual direction, (b) actual practice in doing soul care and spiritual mentoring with others in a church or university context and (c) professional supervision from a faculty spiritual mentor regarding the student's soul work with others

Consequently, the Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care is intended to help prepare students for professional and lay ministry as associate pastor and teacher of adult ministries, spiritual direction, teaching, mentoring, discipleship as well as preparation for further education and training in Spiritual Formation to teach in Christian university and seminary contexts.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree. Each should be a graduate from an accredited college with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

Three essays in addition to those required by the Talbot application are required to be submitted with the supplemental cover sheet.

1. General Essay

   General essay at least 1000 words addressing (a) your understanding of spiritual formation and soul care and (b) why you wish to pursue graduate studies. Include in your essay potential ministerial goals, personal interests, etc.

2. Personal Essay

   Personal Essay briefly express how you envision this program practically affecting your personal life while going through the program (time commitments, family, job and financial needs, etc.).

3. Personal Biography

   Personal Biography at least 1000 words, particularly focusing on the significant spiritual developments of your life, how they have shaped you as a person, and where you are now in your spiritual development.

Submit an additional full-page letter of reference where the person freely discusses why you would be appropriate for the Institute for Spiritual Formation program. This letter should be completed by one of the above references and attached to the reference form.

For special admission deadlines and requirements, contact Graduate Admissions. Due to the unique nature of this program, all applicants will be personally interviewed.

Graduation Requirements

1. Satisfactorily complete 66 semester units as outlined in the curriculum.
2. At least 51 units must be taken at this seminary.
3. Obtain a 3.0 average with no grade below a "C-" in all courses to be credited toward graduation.
4. Complete the entire program in no more than five years.

Students are placed on academic probation if their grade point average for any semester falls below 3.0 and will remain on probation as long as the single semester or cumulative grade point average remains below 3.0. Probation students are granted one semester in which to bring their academic work up to the required level (3.0) for continuance in the seminary. A student cannot graduate while on probation.

Curriculum

First Year

Second Year

+ "Plus" courses are intended to give the student credit for theoretical and experiential work done outside of the classroom. This applies to the following courses: SF 543, 642, 670.

Co-curricular Requirements

See department listing "Spriritual Formation Institute" for full description.

1. Personal Spiritual Direction (SF 585)
2. Didactic Therapy
3. Faculty-Student Retreat
4. Personal Retreats
5. Preliminary Oral Interview (POI)
6. Intensive Journey Inward Retreat (SF 670)

All SF courses follow the "One-Fourth Rule" in which at least one fourth of each course is devoted to experientially realizing or deepening what is taught.