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Publication Date

11-2020

Abstract

The Dark Night of the Soul, a poetic phrase arising from the writings of St. John of the Cross, is a common but misunderstood part of the Christian journey. It is often a lonely season where a wider Christian community has greater difficulty connecting and supporting a person’s journey with God through deconstruction, loneliness, and doubt. Yet it is a necessary season in the human journey toward God and a season that brings a dynamic richness and deep wisdom to the wider community of faith.

Particularly in evangelical contexts that thrive on stories of conversion and celebration, seasons of sorrow, doubt, and loneliness are often distanced from the centrality of the church’s shared life together. Yet while these seasons of deconstruction and dark nights are often lonely, they need not be isolating. This project maps out a communal and generative vision of spirituality that is robust and dynamic enough to encompass all seasons of faith.

Part One of this project explores the theology, reality, and necessity of seasons of faith where God feels distant, communal life feels complex, and faith feels difficult. Part Two surveys resources for a generative and communal approach to spirituality across seasons of faith and the contextual realities facing emerging generations and the church in the ever-changing world. Part Three demonstrates how specific postures and practices of faith can create a generative environment for Christian formation across seasons of faith.

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

First Advisor

DeGroat, Chuck

Document Type

Project

Language

English

Keywords

Spiritual formation; Spiritual life—Christianity; Faith development; Stages of faith; Millennials; Millennials (Generation Y); Generation Y; Dark Night of the Soul, the; Dark Night of the Soul

Disciplines

Christianity | Practical Theology | Sociology of Religion

Copyright

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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This was uploaded by the David Allan Hubbard Library from the Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN). If there are any mistakes in this record, please contact archives@fuller.edu

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Date Uploaded

12-1-2020

Collection Number

DMin125

File Name

DMin125-0447

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Embargo Period

12-1-2020

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