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A Multi-Dimensional Spiritual Assessment Program
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A Multi-Dimensional Spiritual Assessment Program
Timothy L. Cooley
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First Core Value of ABHE:
Spiritual EngagementWe will fulfill our mission as a
spiritual enterprise
united under Christ our Head, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit,
faithful in biblical truth and prayer.Retrieved January 21, 2012 from http://www.abhe.org/pages/NAV-OurMission.html
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Spiritual Transformation
is the shaping of the interior life —
Cognition,Commitment,
Character/Conscience, Communion, and
Compassion
— so that life flows out in an integrative wholeness (head, hand, and heart)
increasingly more like Christ
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A Multi-Dimensional Spiritual Assessment
• Cognition
• Commitment
• Character/Conscience
• Communion • Compassion
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Bloom’s Domains
Cognitive
AffectivePsychomotor
RememberingUnderstanding
ApplyingAnalyzingEvaluatingCreating
ReceivingResponding
ValuingOrganizing
Internalizing
PerceptionReadiness to ActGuided Response
Complex ResponseAdaptationOrigination
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Dettmer’s Suggested Domains
Cognitive
Affective
Sensorimotor
Social
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James Fowler’s Stages of Faith
Based on the developmental theories of
•Jean Piaget
•Erik Erikson
•Lawrence Kohlberg
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Conventional Conforming Faith
• Ages 11/12 to 17/18 and many adults• Interpersonal Relationships very important• Not yet Reflected on their Beliefs and Values
(Formal Thinking just emerging)• “Faith-crowd” provides much of their Meaning
The LoyalistThe Loyalist
Fowler Faith Stage 3
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Individuative Choosing Faith
• Ages 17/18 and onward (or 30s/40s and onward)
• Evaluating their Beliefs and Values
• Cannot Tolerate Second-Hand Belief
• Faith Becomes their Own
• Transition to this Stage can be long and traumatic
The SearcherThe Searcher
Fowler Faith Stage 4
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Sharon Parks’ Dimensions within Fowler’s Faith Stages
Form of Knowing
Form of Dependence
Form of Community
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Attachment Theory John Bowlby
Mary Ainsworth
Robert Karen
The way a person relates to the primary caregiver in childhood
develops a perceptual filter that tends to govern all other
relationships even toward God.
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Dilemma
• If spiritual transformation, or Christian formation, is a summary category that includes everything . . . .
• If spiritual transformation is a separate category . . . .
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Qualitative Research?
or
Quantitative Research?
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Likert-type Response Ratings
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Spiritual Transformation
is the shaping of the interior life —
Cognition,Commitment,
Character/Conscience, Communion, and
Compassion
— so that life flows out in an integrative wholeness (head, hand, and heart)
increasingly more like Christ
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Romans 12:2
Be ye transformed (metamorphosed)
by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that
good, and
acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
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II Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord,
are changed (metamorphosed)
into the same image
from glory to glory,
even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
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A Multi-Dimensional Spiritual Assessment
• Cognition
• Commitment
• Character/Conscience
• Communion • Compassion
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Cognition
Propositional truth (doctrine) cognitively grasped and believed about God (as personal and Trinitarian), humans (as free moral agents), sin (as both act and nature), salvation (received by grace through faith) as a present relationship, sanctification (including a Wesleyan understanding of entire sanctification as
an instantaneous purging of one’s nature, as well as the ongoing process of becoming more and more like Christ), personal assurance of one’s relationship with
God, eternity (as duration and as destination), ultimate meaning, even general knowledge of
creation as it connects with ultimate meaning.
Propositional truth (doctrine) cognitively grasped and believed about God (as personal and Trinitarian), humans (as free moral agents), sin (as both act and nature), salvation (received by grace through faith) as a present relationship, sanctification (including a Wesleyan understanding of entire sanctification as
an instantaneous purging of one’s nature, as well as the ongoing process of becoming more and more like Christ), personal assurance of one’s relationship with
God, eternity (as duration and as destination), ultimate meaning, even general knowledge of
creation as it connects with ultimate meaning.
Cognition
Propositional truth (doctrine) cognitively grasped and believed
about God (as personal and Trinitarian), humans (as free moral agents),
sin (as both act and nature), salvation (received by grace through faith) as a
present relationship, sanctification (including a Wesleyan understanding of
entire sanctification), personal assurance of one’s relationship with God, eternity,
ultimate meaning, even general knowledge of creation as it connects with ultimate
meaning
Propositional truth (doctrine) cognitively grasped and believed
about God (as personal and Trinitarian), humans (as free moral agents),
sin (as both act and nature), salvation (received by grace through faith) as a
present relationship, sanctification (including a Wesleyan understanding of
entire sanctification), personal assurance of one’s relationship with God, eternity,
ultimate meaning, even general knowledge of creation as it connects with ultimate
meaning
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Commitment
Personal commitment to God and His Word as having “supreme value for me”; personal choice, going beyond a conventional, second-hand faith (based more on family, church, and friends) to a convictional faith (based on personal reflection)
(Fowler, 1981/1995); personal commitment to Jesus Christ, to His commands and His commission; practice of the spiritual disciplines; and self-discipline (disciplined choosing of the more
excellent, choosing even against one’s own short-term gain, and willingness to suffer for spiritual
value).
Personal commitment to God and His Word as having “supreme value for me”; personal choice, going beyond a conventional, second-hand faith (based more on family, church, and friends) to a convictional faith (based on personal reflection)
(Fowler, 1981/1995); personal commitment to Jesus Christ, to His commands and His commission; practice of the spiritual disciplines; and self-discipline (disciplined choosing of the more
excellent, choosing even against one’s own short-term gain, and willingness to suffer for spiritual
value).
Commitment
Personal commitment to God and His Word as having “supreme value for me”; personal choice, going beyond a conventional, second-hand faith (based more on family, church, and friends) to a convictional faith (based on personal reflection)
(Fowler, 1981/1995); personal commitment to Jesus Christ, to His commands and His commission; practice of the spiritual disciplines; and self-discipline (disciplined choosing of the more
excellent, choosing even against one’s own short-term gain, and willingness to suffer for spiritual
value).
Personal commitment to God and His Word as having “supreme value for me”; personal choice, going beyond a conventional, second-hand faith (based more on family, church, and friends) to a convictional faith (based on personal reflection)
(Fowler, 1981/1995); personal commitment to Jesus Christ, to His commands and His commission; practice of the spiritual disciplines; and self-discipline (disciplined choosing of the more
excellent, choosing even against one’s own short-term gain, and willingness to suffer for spiritual
value).
Commitment
Personal commitment to God and His Word as having supreme value for the
individual; personal choice, going beyond a conventional, second-hand faith (based
more on family, church, friends) to a convictional faith (based
on personal reflection) (Fowler, 1981/1995); personal commitment to Jesus Christ, to His
commands and His commission; spiritual disciplines; self-discipline, disciplined
choosing of the more excellent, choosing even against one’s own short-term gain, willingness to suffer for spiritual value
Personal commitment to God and His Word as having supreme value for the
individual; personal choice, going beyond a conventional, second-hand faith (based
more on family, church, friends) to a convictional faith (based
on personal reflection) (Fowler, 1981/1995); personal commitment to Jesus Christ, to His
commands and His commission; spiritual disciplines; self-discipline, disciplined
choosing of the more excellent, choosing even against one’s own short-term gain, willingness to suffer for spiritual value
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Character/Conscience
Integrity, consistent living out or “incarnating” one’s faith and values,
obedience to Scripture; conscience as consciousness, conscious sensitivity to
moral right and wrong; openness to the direct dealing of the Spirit; conformity to Christ, fruit of the Spirit; wisdom, discretion,
choosing the things that are excellent; personal stewardship of time, talent, and
treasure (financial responsibility)
Integrity, consistent living out or “incarnating” one’s faith and values,
obedience to Scripture; conscience as consciousness, conscious sensitivity to
moral right and wrong; openness to the direct dealing of the Spirit; conformity to Christ, fruit of the Spirit; wisdom, discretion,
choosing the things that are excellent; personal stewardship of time, talent, and
treasure (financial responsibility)
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Communion
Koinonia (Gr. ) with God (prayer, worship, personal trust in God, sense of
forgiveness from God), and koinonia with one’s spiritual community, with family, with people in general (including acceptance of
others, forgiveness toward them, and global acceptance of the full diversity of humans
as created in the image of God); acceptance of self; relationship to spiritual authority
Koinonia (Gr. ) with God (prayer, worship, personal trust in God, sense of
forgiveness from God), and koinonia with one’s spiritual community, with family, with people in general (including acceptance of
others, forgiveness toward them, and global acceptance of the full diversity of humans
as created in the image of God); acceptance of self; relationship to spiritual authority
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Compassion
Willingness to serve Christ through serving others
(servanthood),
sympathy
for the suffering, the poor, and
the imprisoned
Willingness to serve Christ through serving others
(servanthood),
sympathy
for the suffering, the poor, and
the imprisoned
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What should be?
How to Close the Gap?
What is?
Assessment and
Planning Cycle
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Spiritual Assessment should be
• Couched in Biblical terms or concepts
• Aligned with your theological and ecclesiastical commitments
• Linked to your spiritual formation program
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Can we assess
Spiritual Transformation?
We can only assess
“Spiritual Indicators”
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Very untrue of me Mostly untrue of me More untrue than true of me More true than untrue of me Mostly true of me Very true of me
1very
untrueof me
2mostly untrueof me
3more
untrue than true of me
4more true than
untrue of me
5 mostly true of me
6 very true of me
Likert-type Scale
Trait is Characteristicof student
Six-point Likert-type Scale
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The Study Analyzed
• The level of students’ Spiritual Transformation
• Their rating of the Bible College Experience
• The correlation between these two
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Spiritual Transformation Component Means (#2-6)
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Spiritual Disciplines (#7)
Exercise 2x week or more 1x day or
more
• Devotional Prayer 91% 70% #7a
• Devotional Bible Reading88% 60% #7b
Exercise 2x week or
more
• Church Attendance 91% #7c
• Chapel Attendance 96% #7d
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Spiritual Disciplines (#7 continued)
Exercise 1x week or
more
• Small Group Fellowship/Prayer 63% #7e
Exercise 1x month or
less
• Witnessing . . . 51% #7f
• Fasting and Prayer 59% #7g
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Bible College Experiences (#8)
• School Revivals . . . 5.34 #8d
• Fellowship w other students 5.04 #8c
• Christian Service 5.01 #8k
• Academic Courses 4.97 #8a
• Chapel Services 4.93 #8e
• Campus Atmosphere Great Commission 4.89 #8j
• Fac/Stu Interaction outside of class 4.86 #8b
• Visiting Ministers/Missionaries 4.78 #8i
• Campus Prayer Meetings 4.64 #8h
• Discipleship Groups 4.54 #8g
• Dormitory Life 4.29 #8f
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Bible College Experiences (#8 continued)
• Mean of All Lines #8a-k 4.84 #8a-k
• Correlation of Mean of #8a-k and Mean of #2-6 Pearson r = .512
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Campus Atmosphere (#9)
#9b The faculty are devoted to serving the Lord 5.78
#9c The general staff are devoted to serving the Lord 5.72
#9h The faculty are devoted to serving the students 5.48
#9e The faculty and staff make students feel loved and accepted 5.41
#9i The campus atmosphere encourages everyone to spiritual growth 5.38
#9f The students make each other feel loved and accepted 5.02
#9a The students are devoted to serving the Lord 5.01
#9d The students are quick to help each other 5.01
#9g The students are committed to the spiritual purpose of the school 4.86
Mean of all line items relating to faculty and staff (#9b, #9c, #9,h, #9e)
5.60
Mean of all line items relating to students(#9f, #9a, #9d, #9g)
4.97
Mean of all line items 5.30
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Summary
• Students who enrolled in these Bible Colleges were already aligned with the mission before coming.
• Students rated their own spiritual transformation very highly.
• Students testified that they are practicing many of the spiritual disciplines usually associated with spiritual growth.
• Students testified that Bible College Experiences and the Campus Atmosphere are contributing to their spiritual growth.
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• Participants who rated their own level of spirituality higher also tended to rate the impact of the Bible College experiences more highly.
• Age, number of semesters, and gender made very little difference in the way students rated their own spirituality, the Bible College Experiences, and the Campus Atmosphere.
Summary (continued)
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Implications
• Are students are growing spiritually?
• Are students aligned with your mission?
• Are your recruitment efforts bringing the kind of students you want?
• Are your distance education students pursuing and/or reaching the same objectives as your face-to-face students?
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Recommendations• Further development of the instrument
• Suggestions for improvement?
• Related article in current Biblical Higher Education Journal
• Today’s paper and presentation available
• Dissertation available by pdf file
• Author email: [email protected]
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May the Lord
prosper your efforts
to increase students’
spiritual growth!— Timothy L. Cooley, Sr.
Email: [email protected]
