role of spiritual direction in the context of theological education, The

Anglican Theological Review, Summer 1998 by Sheldrake, Philip F

PHILIP F. SHELDRAKE*

Although there are a number of specific aspects of spiritual direction that I might have chosen for attention, I prefer to ask a more general question. What is the overall role of spiritual direction within theological education or seminary formation? And, as a corollary, what is the role of a spiritual director in relation to the roles of professors and/or personal tutors ('advisors')? What follows is based on my own work both as a professor and a spiritual director and therefore has all the weaknesses as well as strengths of personal and subjective experience. What I want to say can be divided broadly into three parts. I will first of all make some attempt to define what I understand by `spiritual direction'. I will then reflect briefly on a few common personal issues that seem to face people in theological education as they prepare for ministry. Finally, and in the light of these issues, I will look more explicitly at the importance of spiritual direction and the role of a director in the life of individual seminarians and in the pattern of seminary formation.

tat is Spiritual Direction?

Like so many other people in spiritual ministry, I have tussled with whether `spiritual direction' is really the appropriate title for what I believe I do. There have been a number of alternative suggestions made by modern writers on the subject but none of them, to my mind, has :responded completely to all the problems of definition. So I will continue to use the phrase `spiritual direction' even though I realise that it sends a shiver down the spines of some people! For some it appears all too grand-something beyond the needs and means of most Christians and intended for a specialist elite. The words themselves do not help, implying as they appear to do something awesome, perhaps a little dangerous (echoes of blind obedience to an austere ascetic), and certainly far removed from ordinary experience. I hope that it will soon be obvious that I do not subscribe to such a view of spiritual direction.

For me, spiritual direction is a ministry, rooted in the Christian tradition of belief and practice, whereby some members of the Christian community actively accompany others on their faith journey. Like all Christian ministries, it is based primarily on gifts given by God and only secondarily on specialist knowledge supported increasingly by some kind of formal training. Spiritual direction is, before all else, a process of active listening to another. This listening is based as far as is humanly possible on unconditional acceptance, focussed by a kind of contemplative awareness not only of the other person but of God acting and loving in his or her life. The process of spiritual direction is basically a form of non-directive guidance in order to help people to grow closer to God and to recognize the workings of God's Spirit within themselves and in the events of life (people often use the word `discernment' for this). The director is also called upon to help the other person as he or she seeks to become free enough to respond to God's promptings and to make the choices that inevitably follow from this. To my mind, spiritual direction is not limited to what may be thought of, narrowly, as spiritual' activities such as prayer but is concerned with the whole of life-but the whole of life viewed from the perspective of a relationship with God. There may at times be some overlap with counselling or therapy-and certainly there are some basic skills in common-but in the end spiritual direction is not simply a form of counselling. It is not fundamentally crisis-centred or oriented towards therapy or problem-solving.

On the one hand, I believe that spiritual direction is more than just a cozy little chat or tea and sympathy' (although there is room at times for that as well! ) because if it is truly supportive it will probably be challenging on occasion. However, I know that I am not alone in finding the approach of the late Martin Thornton's book, Spiritual Direction, rather chilling as a description of contemporary spiritual direction.

In practice the client is to be viewed in this double light. On the one hand he is the beloved brother-in-Christ, a whole person in his own right, a complete human being beloved by God, of infinite value and dignity. There is our beloved brother, sitting in a chair and seeking our guidance, but this can only be effectively given by placing him-metaphorically speaking-on a stone cold slab, to be analysed, classified, sorted out and generally pulled to pieces. He is still to be loved, but to be effective our dear Christian brother has to become a client. It is all part of the game... It sounds clinical, coldblooded, but it is all part of the game and our client is still dear old Thomas who "vill probably quite enjoy the game as soon as lie knows the rules.l This is the language of the scientific laboratory, of clinical pathology rather than spiritual direction as I would understand it. To dissect people in this way is to diminish them as persons by reducing them to bits and pieces which I proceed to label. It also appears to prod and to pry into someone's personality in ways that I feel we have no right to do. To be truly and contemplatively present to other people is always to respect their integrity and ultimate mystery.2