Between ecclesiality and contextuality: Church Life Survey and the (re)vitalisation of Christian communities in the Netherlands
Rene´ErwichStarting from the context in which there is an increasing emphasis on ecclesial revitalisation and churchplanting, the analytical model of the Australian National Church Life Survey (NCLS) research is introduced and described in its background and characteristics. The model shows particular interest in a specific church profile which is created based on local church surveys. The article describes the profile, examines the theological concepts and argues for in-depth empirical research in a Dutch context concerning the use of the profile.Cf. Erwich, Veelkleurig Verlangen. In the Netherlands interest in congregational studies is growing. This article has its focus on a particular type of research within the wider context of congregational studies and does not intend to deal with the entire field of studies in the Netherlands. My interest is in the way CLS could be of relevance in current debates.3 Different in the British context; e.g. congegrational studies with roots in the US. For more background on congregational studies read Guest, Congregational Studies in the UK.
This article presents the results of research in the area of spiritual development of students of theology as part of their more general personal and professional life. Based on the qualitative analysis of written spiritual autobiographies, patterns and characteristics were discovered and are presented here. After presenting the outcome of the project, results are connected to a major theoretical perspective of Marcia’s (1966) identity statuses and its revisions. Finally, it is contended that theological curricula should invest more in spiritual guidance and formation of students, and some suggestions are given in order to achieve this goal.
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