A Systems View of Spiritual Formation: Applying a Learning Environments Perspective

Spiritual formation is a lifelong, biblically guided process of growth and transformation that nurtures a flourishing life shaped by God’s wisdom and grace. Increasingly recognised as an important dimension of human development, it has been linked to positive outcomes such as self-control, prosocial behaviour, self-esteem, and reduced engagement in risk behaviours across diverse faith backgrounds. Christian-ethos schools aim to support such growth by integrating academic instruction with faith-based values, seeking to promote holistic development alongside academic achievement. Despite intentions to support spiritual formation, research shows that the realisation of this outcome varies widely across schools. Existing literature identifies several promising features of school life and proposes models for encouraging spiritual formation, including the influence of school culture, in particular, relational dynamics, teacher and peer interactions, and the presence of psychological safety. Despite the notable emphasis on school culture, much of the work on spiritual formation remains peripheral to mainstream learning environment research. In this chapter, we use a learning environments lens to propose a systems view of spiritual formation in schools. Drawing on empirical insights and professional practice, and grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological theory, the systems view conceptualises the school environment as a dynamic ecosystem in which interrelated elements continuously influence student engagement, agency and spiritual formation. We illustrate the practical value of this perspective through an example of instrument design and a case study illustrating how one school adopted a learning environment approach to enhance spiritual formation. Through this case study, we demonstrate how using this systems view can inform research, guide school improvement efforts, whilst offering adaptable strategies suited to diverse school contexts.