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Spiritual formation is both an opportunity and a challenge for educators in Christian colleges and seminaries. How can students be nurtured and guided in developing spiritually within the curriculum? Drawing on a number of educators, studies, and arguments, this article develops a rationale for engaging in spiritual formation and for the use of practical assignments or “soul projects.” A selection of such projects is grouped into genres, followed by a brief exploration of best practices and an evaluation of such assignments.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Christian education and spiritual formation existed in an uneasy tension, running on parallel tracks but also developing mutual points of intersection. This article traces the growing connections between these movements in the last two decades of the twentieth century, the changing emphases in this relationship since 2000, and the need for further cross-fertilization between the two fields as ministries face the challenges of the twenty-first century.

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Preliminary results of a recent interview project with veteran professors of Christian education regarding key transitions in the field over the last several decades. Four main areas of change are addressed, including issues of professional identity, the role of social sciences, the role of Scripture and theology, and cultural changes impacting educational ministry.