2023-24 Academic Catalog

Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation

Purpose

The Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation is a 36-credit-hour degree designed to equip persons as leaders for spiritual formation ministries in the church, community, and world or as spiritual directors. The entire curriculum pathway is designed to prepare you to lead and serve like Christ, the Way. 

The Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation is focused on expanding biblical and theological knowledge, deepening awareness of God and self, integrating life experiences, and enhancing Christ-like spiritual practices so that students can demonstrate the characteristics of Jesus in their vocational contexts. Our understanding of spiritual formation involves the intersection of Scripture, theology, psychology, and social-cultural factors. The focus of our curriculum, therefore, is on developing awareness, increasing empathy and compassion skills, and building distinct spiritual practices that promote authentic Christian discipleship.

Graduates will serve in a variety of formation roles, such as:

  • Persons who lead formation and discipleship ministries in a local church such as women’s, men’s or children’s ministries, etc. 
  • Lay leaders called to companionship and formation ministries in a church, community, or business 
  • Retreat guides
  • Spiritual Directors 
  • Formation curriculum developers, writers, artists 

Program Competencies

The MA in Spiritual Formation will equip and form students to think with clarity like Christ, live with integrity in Christ, and serve with the heart of God for Christ. 

To think with clarity like Christ students will

  • Analyze ancient sources and contextualize meaning  
  • Practice intentional thinking  

To live with integrity in Christ students will

  • Embrace identity & belonging in Christ
  • Deepen self awareness for Christ 
  • Engage the sacramental life with Christ
  • Embody listening and discernment with the Holy Spirit 
  • Cultivate hospitable community for God’s world  

To serve with the Heart of God for Christ students will

  • Steward one’s calling 
  • Form communities of shalom and grace

Degree Outcomes

As a result of completing the MASF degree program, the students will:

  • Describe, critically and constructively, the biblical and theological foundations of the Christian tradition in relation to formation.
  • Define, implement, and assess spiritual formation processes in individuals and groups in a variety of social and cultural settings.
  • Identify and evaluate his or her spiritual formation journey of conforming to the image of Christ for the sake of others.
  • Develop habits of authentic disciplines for living holistically in today’s world.
  • Demonstrate the character and skills necessary for spiritually guiding or leading others in the Christian tradition.

Admission Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the MA in Spiritual Formation program must hold a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university†, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. In addition, applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission to the program:

  • Submit Portland Seminary application and application fee
  • Submit one official transcript from each college/university attended
  • Resumé
  • Personal mission statement and statement of faith
  • Three letters of reference (as specified in admissions materials)
  • An interview addressing the prospective student’s discernment around preparation for the ministry of spiritual formation

†Applicants who do not hold a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university may apply to the university but will be required to submit additional documentation to be considered for admission.

Transfer Credit

Transfer of up to 18 hours credit is allowed toward the MA in Spiritual Formation program from ATS-accredited graduate schools. Students must have earned a grade of B or better for a course to be considered for transfer. In addition, only courses taken elsewhere within 10 years of the date of matriculation to the MA in Spiritual Formation program will be considered for transfer. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Consult the registrar's office for information on eligibility of transfer credit.

Residence Requirements

Residence, as described in this section of the catalog, does not refer to the time a student spends on campus. It refers to the portion of a degree program that students are required to earn with Portland Seminary, as compared to transfer credits and credit applied as advanced standing. With regard to the MASF program, students are required to complete half of the degree (18 semester hours) directly with Portland Seminary. A leave of absence is valid for up to one year after which the student must reapply to the program. Reinstatement to the program after withdrawal requires Admissions Committee action and may subject the student to additional requirements for the degree.

Course Requirements

The MASF program is generally two years in length with 36 semester hours of coursework required as a minimum for graduation. Of the total hours required for the degree, 15 are in biblical and theological foundations courses, 6 are in pastoral care and formation leadership courses, 9 are spiritual formation core courses, and 6 are practicum courses either in a formation apprenticeship or in spiritual direction training.

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate with the MA in Spiritual Formation degree students must:

  • Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 36 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above
  • Achieve no grade lower than a C- in all courses. If a grade lower than a C- is received, that course must be retaken (for more specific information, please refer to the student handbook).
  • Successfully pass candidacy
  • Successfully complete each milestone
  • Be recommended by the seminary faculty for graduation from Portland Seminary of George Fox University

Other Degree Requirements

Each masters student will undergo an initial personality assessment with a licensed mental health practitioner upon matriculation to identify strengths and areas for growth. The seminary faculty will conduct a first semester review of this assessment for newly matriculated students each fall semester and take it into consideration alongside conversations regarding the student’s performance during the semester. At times, the faculty may recommend, or require counseling in order to better identify areas of personal growth in order to maximize one's potential for flourishing and capitalize on discovered strengths through one’s seminary career. For more specific information, please refer to the student handbook.

Curriculum Plan

Complete the following:
Introduces students to the literature of the Old Testament in its socio-historical, literary, and theological contexts with particular interest in spiritual formation and Christian practice. Students will explore the contents of the Old Testament, the history of ancient Israel, historical geography, and interpretive approaches that explore the literary features of the Old Testament and its historical and cultural contexts.
Introduces students to the literature of the New Testament in its socio-historical, literary, and theological contexts with particular interest in spiritual formation and Christian practice. This course will discuss the history that leads up to the New Testament; the voices in early Christianities represented in the Gospels, Pauline, and other letters, and the churches and/or persons who first received them; as well as the voices of those who read them today. Besides introducing the general information on each book, this course will also highlight different themes in the books of the New Testament.
Examines and reflects on stories of various persons in both the Old and New Testaments that emphasize narratives of spiritual transformation. In particular, students will reflect on the patterns and practices of formation. The course will invite deep reflection on character building, ethical formation, and the application of such narratives to Christian ministry contexts.
Complete the following:
The course discusses a variety of interpretations, responses, and practices related to suffering and healing in Christian traditions. It draws upon scriptural, theological, and scientific perspectives, with the goal of addressing current concerns and promoting human flourishing.
Examines movements and people within Christianity who have brought spiritual renewal to the church, including monasticism, the mystics, the Reformers, Pietism, the Wesleyan/evangelical revival, and certain present-day examples. Focuses not only on history, but also on themes within spiritual renewal and on insights that can be drawn for the contemporary believer and church.
Complete the following:
Provides an opportunity for students to identify their deep longings and giftings as they discern their vocational way of being in the world for the sake of others. This discernment is rooted in a growing knowledge of the biblical and theological roots of identity and belonging. Students will be invited to integrate their way of being in the world with the God who calls them.
Provides an invitation for students to embrace the calling to belong within a faith community as an essential of Christian spirituality. Locating their past and present sources of belonging, students will integrate those experiences in order to grow in their understanding of self in relation to community. Students will support this awareness by reflecting on the cultural forces and narratives that shape both individuals and communities.
Provides an invitation for students to engage in prayer and other spiritual practices for greater awareness of self, others and God. As students practice they will be introduced to the gift of a contemplative life and will begin to experience a groundedness in Christ’s presence. This groundedness helps them embrace themselves, God, and others. As students learn to experience this space, they will be able to invite others into a more contemplative life.
Introduces students to the concept of three-way listening: listening to another, listening to themselves, and listening to the Spirit with hospitality to all. Quaker, Wesleyan, and Ignatian spiritualities help shape this understanding of listening and discernment. Part of this journey is to begin to notice the barriers that arise in listening this way. Growth will occur as students learn how to sift through their interior and exterior experiences to determine their origin and the movement of the Spirit in themselves, their community, and the world.
Introduces students to the rhythms of ritual, mystery, and beauty as pathways for Christian formation. Moving from the specific to the general, students will cultivate the ability to experience the sacred in the ordinary through tangible practices. These practices will be guided by theological reflection on the implications of the Incarnation, thus allowing students to both explore and notice God’s recreative presence in the arts, creation, and all of life.
Leaning deeper in reflection on areas of disintegration and integration, students will be invited to practice self-acceptance, generosity of spirit, boundaries, and to recognize invitations of growth. Analyzing the theology of spiritual leadership and reviewing elements which invite leaders to sustain a leadership role with integrity and health, students will reflect and create a rhythm of life that will serve as a fluid document to sustain them as they live out their vocational call within the communities they serve.
Invites students to experience and explore images of God and understandings of spirituality through Scripture and the writings of the mystical traditions of the Church. Studying the spiritual writings of others through history opens one to consider their own image of God and concept of spirituality. This recognition, often shaped from childhood and life experience, offers an invitation to an expanding understanding of God. Mystics invite us to move beyond knowledge about God into an experiential relationship with God that impacts everyday life.
Invites students to explore God’s transformative action and desire for restorative justice and Shalom through the writings of the biblical prophets, Christian mystics, and activists. Students will broaden their awareness of unjust systems while considering their personal participation in oppressive structures. Reflective practices and discussion will invite students to actively join with God and create practices for response and reconciliation that extend God’s hospitality and restores the humanity of all.
Explores topics of spiritual formation that support the deep work of transformation of students, communities, or cultures.
Complete the following:
Explores the questions: What are spiritual formation, healing and discipleship as pursuits of Christian believers? What is the spiritual leader's role in leading these pursuits? and How do formation, discipleship, and healing happen in current cultural contexts and in the church? The scriptural, theological, developmental, pedagogical, and biological nature of formation, discipleship, and healing are considered.
Introduces the pastoral counseling role of the minister or spiritual director. The purpose of the course is to acquaint the student with a basic counseling method in relation to the typical situations encountered in ministry. Special attention will be given to healthy differentiation and ministerial ethics. One of the principal objectives will be to help the student recognize when and how to refer persons to qualified mental health professionals.
Students must complete 6 credits of Apprenticeship and Mentoring or Spiritual Direction Training coursework.
Apprenticeship Courses

Students can complete either one 3-credit course, three 1-credit courses or any variation.

A unique practicum experience in which students do a supervised internship in order to gain expertise in the tasks of ministry. Note: PSTD 568/569/570 can be taken in any order. PSTD 568/569/570 can be taken together as a 3 credit course in one semester.
A unique practicum experience in which students do a supervised internship in order to gain expertise in the tasks of ministry. Note: PSTD 568/569/570 can be taken in any order. PSTD 568/569/570 can be taken together as a 3 credit course in one semester.
A unique practicum experience in which students do a supervised internship in order to gain expertise in the tasks of ministry. Note: PSTD 568/569/570 can be taken in any order. PSTD 568/569/570 can be taken together as a 3 credit course in one semester.
Mentoring Courses
Students can complete either one 3-credit course, three 1-credit courses or any variation.
A coaching experience in order to explore one’s calling, enhance one’s awareness of his or her leadership skills, or receive guidance on current leadership challenges. The student will meet one on one with a certified coach. The course is yearlong and is taken sequentially beginning with 526.
A coaching experience in order to explore one’s calling, enhance one’s awareness of his or her leadership skills, or receive guidance on current leadership challenges. The student will meet one on one with a certified coach. Prerequisite: MLDR 526
A coaching experience in order to explore one’s calling, enhance one’s awareness of his or her leadership skills, or receive guidance on current leadership challenges. The student will meet one on one with a certified coach. Prerequisite: 527

OR

Complete the following:
This course focuses on hosting spiritual conversations for soul companions. Generous listening is a core practice for intentionally guiding persons in their spiritual growth and at the center of training for spiritual directors. This course explores the historical, theological, biblical, and psychological premises for soul companionship and introduces students to core practices. Students will reflect on meaning and definitions of hosting spiritual conversations in light of their own experience and the course teachings and personal discernment regarding vocational spiritual direction. Note: it is required that students take SFAD 571 & SFAD 572.
This course continues the students’ training in the discipline of spiritual direction. It addresses professional issues related to being a spiritual director and gives students practical experience in being spiritual directors, under the guidance of certified supervisors. (Note: it is required that students take both SFAD 571 & SFAD 572. Additional fees: The cost of personal spiritual direction is covered by the student.)