Diane J. Chandler

African American Spirituality: Through Another Lens

African American spirituality provides a rich lens into the heart and soul of the black church experience, often overlooked in the Christian spiritual formation literature. By addressing this lacuna, this essay focuses on three primary shaping qualities of history: the effects of slavery, the Civil Rights Movement under Dr. Martin Luther Kings leadership, and the emergence of the Black Church. Four spiritual practices that influence African American spirituality highlight the historical and cultural context of being “forged in the fiery furnace,” including worship, preaching and Scripture, the community of faith and prayer, and community outreach. The essay concludes by recognizing four areas of the lived experiences of African Americans from which the global church can glean: (1) persevering in pain and suffering, (2) turning to God for strength, (3) experiencing a living and passionate faith, and (4) affirming Gods intention for freedom and justice to be afforded to every individual.

Physical Formation: Health Stewardship and Embodied Realities

This chapter offers three sections pertaining to embodiment and physical health stewardship. The first section addresses the physical health in Christian formation from biblical and theological perspectives. The body provides the sacred location for God’s presence and the tangible conduit for worship. The second section addresses how the body impacts the unity of the whole person through the influence of the Holy Spirit by highlighting pneumatological considerations. The third section addresses the importance of attending to one’s physical health, to the degree that one is able, with appropriate care in the areas of nutrition, physical exercise, sleep, and stress reduction. In summary, this chapter argues that care of the body must be retrieved as an essential component of Christian formation, theology, and discipleship.

Whole-Person Formation: An Integrative Approach to Christian Education

This article introduces a comprehensive Christian formation model, drawing from the Genesis narrative of being created in the imago Dei (image of God) through godly love. Applicable in the Christian academy, church, and ministry contexts, this approach incorporates seven dimensions (i.e., spirit, emotions, relationships, intellect, vocation, physical health, and resource stewardship, referring to how believers handle the earth, money, and possessions). Ethical living stands as an outcome of integrated growth across these dimensions and as the vehicle to love and serve God and others. Christian educators are encouraged to apply this approach in their various contexts to foster holistic transformation.