Diagnosing the Problem of Christian Immaturity: A Philosophical Perspective

The tenth session of the 2024 Martin Institute Christian Formation Workshop featured a presentation by Dr. Michael Austin (philosophy, Eastern Kentucky University) and comments by Dr. James K. A. Smith (philosophy, Calvin University). The session was moderated by Dr. Gregg Ten Elshof (philosophy, Biola University). Dr. Austin’s paper was titled “Diagnosing the Problem of Christian Immaturity: A Philosophical Perspective.” This session continues our attempt to explain the problem of Christian immaturity/malformation and consider actionable steps toward fostering greater spiritual and moral vitality among Christian individuals and groups.
For the full paper presentation, summary, and some key quotes from Mike Austin's paper which is followed by some application questions, please visit conversatio.org/collections/c...

[@artscience9981]

Very interesting and fruitful discussion. I went to seminary first a while in mid-career. I was surprised to find a level of spiritual immaturity among many of my fellow seminary students. It was hard to tell how much of it was age (the difference between 40 and 23 is a big difference), and how much was culture, and how much of it was lived experience. I was also surprised at how academic seminary was-I expected an emphasis on spiritual formation, of which there was indeed some, but it didn’t seem to be a major focus. Instead, you had to study really hard in order to make good enough grades to stay in the school. I eventually left as it became clear that God’s calling for me was not vocational ministry. It was altogether a disorienting experience.