Seeking the Holy

There currently is a strong desire in congregations to change the practice of Christian education from an educational model to a formation model. The best some congregations have been able to do is change the name of their educational programming from "Christian Education" to some variant that uses the term "formation." Regrettably, these efforts have been little more than a hopeful gesture that has kept old wine in old wineskins. Truthfully, congregations continue to suffer from a lack of effective discipleship due to a lack of understanding of both education and of formation. Certainly, this is tragic. Too many efforts at meeting the spiritual needs of the members of the church, from children to adults, are at best, benign, and at worst, inimical to growth in the faith. Spiritual direction, or, "the cure of souls" as it is often called, is an ancient Christian practice whose aim is spiritual formation and growth through the encounter of the Holy. Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality in relationship with God, self, and others. In Seeking the Holy: An Introduction to the History and Practice of Spiritual Direction for Today's Churches, Israel Galindo provides a guide to understanding the historical development of this ancient practice and its relevance for today's churches. Grounded in scholarship, this work does not merely provide a strong grounding for understanding the foundations and fundamentals of spiritual direction. It also offers practical pedagogical principles for the application of this practice in the congregational context.