Synod Emphasis - Erskine Seminary By Seth Nelson
Forming Students in the Image of Christ T
1. Theological Formation
he Christian life is about for- mation—formation into the image of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and the good of the world (Gen. 1:28, 12:2–3; Matt. 28:18– 4:11–16; Col. 3:10). And I believe the goal of all educative endeavors in the Church center on this formation to- ward individual and communal ma- turity in Jesus Christ. As Paul says: “He is the one we proclaim, admon- ishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present ev- eryone fully mature in Christ.” (Col. 1:28). This sums up the necessary core of any seminary education worthy of the name “Christian.” Through their teaching, lifestyle, and convictions, seminary professors form students toward some vision of maturity in Christ. As students expe- rience formation, they will spread that formation in their churches. And as those churches experience formation, they will spread that formation in their families, workplaces, and com- munities. Therefore, seminary educa- tors bear a profound responsibility to get formation right. While seminaries traditionally excel at providing bibli- cal and theological knowledge, un- integration across their whole lives, then students’ experience in seminary might actually be deformative. Thus, I’m convinced that seminaries need to aim at whole-person formation, which is the kind of seminarian formation we are seeking to cultivate at Erskine Theological Seminary.
Four Dimensions
It is helpful to conceive of whole- person formation in four dimensions: theological, personal, spiritual, and min- isterial formation. However, seminar- ies must hold these dimensions to- gether in an integrated whole in order to aim at whole-person formation. Let’s consider each of these.
Theological or intellectual formation is typically what we think a seminary education offers students. Professors ought to teach from the Bible as the iner- rant and authoritative Word of God so that their students come away with a deep understanding of the Biblical narrative and develop skills in redemptive- historical, Christocentric exegesis. They should impart the truths of the historic, Orthodox Christian faith, and, in the case of Erskine Seminary, the riches of the Reformed tradition. However, simply dispensing information does not equal seminarians’ intellectual and theological formation aimed at transformation of their minds toward maturity in Christ (e.g., Rom. 12:2). For intellectual theological formation to occur, students must learn how to think theologically for themselves, to interrogate their unexamined assump- tions with the gospel, and learn how to apply theological truths in their per- sonal, familial, vocational, and ministry contexts. Speaking metaphorically, if seminary professors want to facilitate theological formation, they shouldn’t construct the “whole theological house” and deliver it in their lectures. Rather, they should help students construct a solid foundation comprised of the gospel, historic Orthodoxy, and core Confessional theology, and then provide them the tools they need to build their own “theological house” upon that foundation.
2. Personal Formation
Personal formation is that dimension focused upon growth in knowledge of self, emotional maturity, and relationships. God created us in His image as people in relation—in relation to Him, to self, to others, and to creation. So per- sonal formation can be seen as an expression of obedience to Jesus’ two great commandments, “You shall love the Lord your God … and your neighbor as
Personal formation focused upon the self means that students grow in their knowledge of self before God. While no one would doubt the importance of spiritual formation, we must heed John Calvin’s counsel pertaining to self- knowledge from his Institutes of the Christian Religion:
Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists in two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But, while joined with many bonds, which one precedes and brings forth the other is not easy to discern…. It is certain that man never achieves a clear knowledge
Therefore, seminaries must intentionally cultivate students’ personal forma-
- on life and ministry through the lens of the gospel, as guided by professors, they can grow in self-awareness. They learn how to confront their limits, weak- nesses, negative emotions, and habitual sins. Conversely, they learn how to de- velop their strengths, spiritual gifts, and vocational calling. Personal formation not only includes growth in self-knowledge but also
growth in relationships with others. When I was a seminary student twenty years ago, I once heard a female student saying to another, “All these MDiv guys do is come to class and then go to the library to study. If they don’t even know how to talk to me, how are they ever going to pastor a church?” As this anecdote suggests, seminaries should seek to
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The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
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