MARTIN INSTITUTE

Protestant Spiritual Formation Movement Project

The Martin Institute and Dallas Willard Research Center received a subgrant from the Global Formation Project to investigate the history and future of the North American Protestant Spiritual Formation Movement (PSFM). In short, we define the North American PSFM as a renewal of awareness and resources related to Christian spiritual formation arising in the mid-1970s and associated with such early figures as James Houston, Tilden Edwards, Richard Foster, M. Robert Mulholland, Marva Dawn, Dallas Willard, Eugene Peterson, Roberta Hestenes, Henri Nouwen, etc.

The project has two parts. Part one will commission essays from several historically prominent North American Protestant spiritual formation organizations to determine what has been learned about the need and nature of Christian spiritual formation. Part two will commission several essays from contemporary leaders in Christian spiritual formation who will help envision what is needed for the future of Christian spiritual formation, especially given the needs of the global church. These essays will be edited by Steve Porter and Dave Wang and introduced by a co-authored article locating the Protestant Spiritual Formation Movement historically. The resultant collection will be published in an online and print supplemental issue of the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. The editors will also create an executive summary of the project for a general, non-academic audience.

The organizations and contributors to part one are:
Regent College: Bruce and Carolyn Hindmarsh
The Upper Room: Johnny Sears
Renovaré: Ted Harro and Mimi Dixon
The Transforming Center: Ruth Haley Barton
Shalem Institute: Jackson Droney
Leadership Transformations Inc.: Steve Macchia
The Apprentice Institute: James Bryan Smith and Jacob Smith
Biola University’s Institute for Spiritual Formation: Betsy Barber, John Coe and Chris Baker
InterVarsity Press: Cindy Bunch

The contributors to part two are:
Rich Villodas (New Life Fellowship)
James K. A. Smith (Calvin University)
Trey Clark (Fuller Seminary)
Sammy Alfaro (Grand Canyon University)
Bo Karen Lee (Princeton Theological Seminary)
Nina Balmaceda (Duke Divinity School)
Dave Wang (Fuller Seminary)
Mae Elise Cannon (Churches for Middle East Peace)

More information can be found at the Global Formation Project as well as on this page as these elements develop.