What characteristics are associated with mature spirituality, character, and virtue? What is the impact of a seminary education (or religious education as a whole) on the spiritual, character, and virtue development of religious leaders who will one day contribute to the flourishing of communities and societies?

One of the most pressing issues facing theological education today is the problem of formation and assessment, i.e., many seminaries lack clear definitions or ways to assess spiritual maturity, and existing literature is overwhelmingly Western in perspective, even as Christianity continues to grow and diversify globally. This gap highlights the need for research that centers diverse traditions and voices to build a global foundation for understanding spiritual maturity and character.

The Global Spiritual Formation Project, led by Dr. David C. Wang and run out of the Nagel Institute at Calvin College, is addressing these questions through an ambitious, ecumenical, and international research initiative. Building on a successful prior program funded by the John Templeton Foundation and a current Templeton Religion Trust project, this next phase expands both the geographical reach and the scope of inquiry to include Asia, Africa, and other underrepresented contexts.

The project will use a Request for Proposals model to commission grassroots research on definitions and cultivation of spiritual maturity from diverse cultural and theological perspectives; conduct a global review of literature and resources (including non-English materials); create an open-access repository through the Association of Theological Schools; and host hybrid gatherings for knowledge exchange and collaboration.

Anticipated outputs include peer-reviewed publications, public presentations, and a culminating international conference bringing together scholars, seminary leaders, and practitioners. The project hopes to increase the capacity of local scholars in Asia, Africa, and other growing Christian contexts and catalyze an international network equipped to foster spiritual and social transformation.