Two new ATS-oriented articles recently published

Two new publications from the Danielsen Institute’s program of research on the spiritual formation of emerging religious leaders were published at the end of 2025 and early 2026. Each articles was a primary output connected to a grant from the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). The first article provides an overview of differing approaches seminaries have been taking to assess student spiritual formation, the trade-offs of these approaches, and key issues for consideration. The second article reports factor analyses of core set of assessment measures from an Institute-led North American study and based on the relational spirituality model (RSM). This study also provided longitudinal evidence of predictive validity for these measures in relation to formation outcomes in support of the RSM. Citations and abstracts are below.

Sandage, S.J., Crabtree, S.A., Jankowski, P.J., Gooch, S., Stein, L.B., Wang, D.C., The, C.M., & Deasy, J. (2025). Student spiritual formation assessment in theological education: An overview of approaches. Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. https://doi.org/10.1177/19397909251400405

Abstract

Religious leaders are expected to embody the spiritual ideals and virtues of their communities and traditions, however recent research highlights the high levels of work-related stress and trauma exposure that can challenge healthy spiritual formation. In North America, accreditation standards for many seminaries and schools of theology that train emerging religious leaders call for attention to the multi-dimensional spiritual formation of students and there is a growing body of empirical research to inform this work. However, there has been more limited scholarly and applied literature on the assessment of spiritual formation in the contexts of theological education, and this paper offers an overview of differing assessment approaches drawing on published literature and field experience in theological education. Strengths and challenges of different assessment approaches are reviewed from interdisciplinary and practical perspectives. We conclude by summarizing a set of considerations for selecting spiritual formation assessment approaches including (a) school goals for assessment, (b) theory and theology, (c) reliability and validity, (d) sociocultural diversity, (e) contexts of assessment, (f) faculty and staff expertise and responsibility for formation, (g) funding, and (h) possibilities for collaboration.

Jankowski, P.J., Sandage, S.J., & Wang, D.C. (2026). Spiritual formation among students at Christian seminaries: Mature alterity, symptoms, and well-being. Pastoral Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-025-01276-6

Abstract

Mature alterity is a key marker of spiritual formation. We used person-centered data analytic techniques to empirically generate subgroups differentiated by their profile on dimensions of the relational spirituality model (RSM). Four RSM dimensions were derived from factor analytic techniques on fifty items from eight measures of religiousness/spirituality and self-regulatory strengths. We used a sample of students from eighteen North American seminaries (N = 867; Mage = 31.95; 50% male; 60% White). Latent profile analyses at times 1 and 2 generated four subgroups differentiated by RSM dimensions. One subgroup, labeled the regulated seekers, represented a balanced profile of moderate acceptance of doubts as positive, low-to-moderate divine struggles and moderate interpersonal struggles, low-to-moderate anxious attachment to the divine, moderate dwelling, and consistent elevated regulation. The regulated seekers also depicted mature alterity, reporting moderate-to-high gratitude and other-forgiveness, low grandiosity, low right-wing authoritarianism, lower illusory religiousness/spirituality, and low materialistic and moderate-to-high contemplative prayer frequencies. They also reported a flourishing profile of lower symptoms, higher positive emotion, and moderate life purpose and higher belongingness. Latent transition analysis results showed that membership in this subgroup was largely stable over time. When the regulated seekers did switch subgroups, they tended to move to the subgroup whose RSM profile was characterized by greater dwelling. Findings offered support for the RSM and highlighted the need for monitoring spiritual formation using judicious assessment of RSM dimensions, mature alterity, and flourishing, along with discerning between greater religiousness/spirituality and mature alterity, which may not be synonymous.