Metamorpha Contributors

Metamorpha.com seeks to bring together the best material in the world of spiritual formation, which will include everyone from academics to lay people talking about soul care, spiritual direction, spiritual theology, discipleship, and all of the elements that make up the spiritual formation conversation. Here is a list of our contributors who we believe are the ones raising the bar when it comes to talking about Christian spiritual formation:

Dallas Willard

Dallas is a Professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He has taught at USC since 1965, where he was Director of the School of Philosophy from 1982-1985. He has also taught at the University of Wisconsin (Madison), where he received his Ph. D. in 1964, and has held visiting appointments at UCLA (1969) and the University of Colorado (1984).

To see Dallas' books on Spiritual formation, click here. To go to Dallas's personal site click here.

Metamorpha contributions: Church Staff Retreat (audio), What is Spiritual Formation? (video), How has Spiritual Formation Impacted Your Own Life? (video), How Do People Change? (video), What Role Do the Disciplines Play in the Christian Life? (video), Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, and the Restoration of the Soul (article), Why Bother With Discipleship? (article).

Richard Foster

Richard J. Foster is the author of several bestselling books, including Celebration of Discipline and Prayer, which in 1993 was Christianity Today’s Book of the Year and won the Gold Medallion Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers’ Association. He is the founder of RENOVARÉ, an infrachurch movement committed to the renewal of the Church in all her multifaceted expressions.

Metamorpha Contributions: What Is the Role of Spiritual Disciplines in the Christian Life? (video), What Are Some Pitfalls for Christians Who Are Trying to Become More Spiritual? (video), What Role Do the Ancient Christians Play in the Life of Believers Today? (video), Spiritual Disciplines Taking on a Corporate Role (video).

David Benner

 
David G. Benner is Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Spirituality at the Psychological Studies Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. A psychologist, spiritual director and retreat leader, Benner has written and edited many books, including the Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology and Counseling and Care of Souls. He is an executive editor of the journal Conversations.

 Metamorpha contributions: Knowing God and Self (audio), The Heart's Desire (article), Will and Desire (article).

Rob Loane

Rob serves in the areas of design and training for VANTAGEPOINT³. Some of his responsibilities include curriculum development, training, and spiritual formation retreats/seminars. He is a graduate of Albright College (Reading, PA) and Talbot School of Theology, Biola University (La Mirada CA). Rob has worked at Biola University in a number of capacities including Resident Director and faculty instructor, teaching undergraduate theology and spiritual formation classes. He continues to serve as a host with the Joshua Foundation, an organization committed to the encouragement and deepening of Christian leaders in the Southern California area www.jfcm.com. Rob lives in Sioux Falls, SD.

 Metamorpha contributions: An Invitation to a Deeper Spiritual Life (journal), The Gift of Being a Growing Person (journal).

Bruce Demarest

Bruce serves as professor of Christian formation at Denver Seminary. He holds a Ph.D. in historical theology from the University of Manchester (England) and an M.A. from Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School. In addition to books on theology, he has written Satisfy Your Soul andSoul Guide (both NavPress), and most recently he teamed up with James R. Beck in writing The Human Person in Theology and Psychology: emAn Anthropology for the Twenty-First Century(Kregel, 2005).

 
Metamorpha contributions: What is Spiritual Formation (video), What is the Difference Between Knowing About God and Knowing God Himself? (video), Reclaiming Wisdom: A Gracious Reversal (article).

Alister McGrath

Alister McGrath was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 23 January 1953. He grew up in Downpatrick, Co. Down, where he attended Down High School. In 1966, he became a pupil at the Methodist College, Belfast, majoring in pure and applied mathematics, physics and chemistry. He was elected to an open major scholarship at Wadham College, Oxford University, to study chemistry from October 1971. He gained first class honours in chemistry in June 1975, and began research in molecular biophysics in the Oxford University Department of Biochemistry under the supervision of Professor Sir George K. Radda, FRS, who recently retired as chairman of the Medical Research Council.  He was elected to an E.P.A. Cephalosporin Research Studentship at Linacre College, Oxford, for the academic year 1975-6, and to a Domus Senior Scholarship at Merton College, Oxford, for the period 1976-8. During these three years, he carried out scientific research alongside studying for the Oxford University Final Honour School of Theology. In December 1977, he was awarded an Oxford D.Phil. for his research in the natural sciences, and gained first class honours in Theology in June 1978.

Metamorpha contributions: The Human Spirit in Spiritual Formation (article).  

Jan Johnson

Jan Johnson is the author of When the Soul Listens, Enjoying the Presence of God, and the new Spiritual Disciplines Bible Studies (www.janjohnson.org). Also a speaker and spiritual director, Jan lives in Simi Valley, California, with her family. This article is adapted from chapter five of Savoring God’s Word (NavPress, 2004), with the permission of the publisher.

Metamorpha contributions: What is Spiritual Formation? (video), What is the Value of the Spiritual Disciplines in the Christian Life? (video), Spiritual Meditation: Welcoming God Each Time (article).

Gordon T. Smith

Gordon T. Smith grew up in Ecuador and is president of reSource (formerly Overseas Council Canada), which works with other reSource affiliates to support and enable excellence in theological education in the developing world. Formerly academic dean and associate professor of spiritual theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, he has also taught in the Philippines and at Canadian Bible College and Theological Seminary in Regina, Saskatchewan. Smith has also served as the senior pastor of two congregations, as associate pastor of Tenth Avenue Alliance Church in Vancouver, and more recently has provided interim teaching ministry at several churches. He is the author of Beginning Well, Courage and Calling, Listening to God in Times of Choice and The Voice of Jesus.

 Metamorpha contributions: Spiritual Direction, Pastoral Care and Friendship (article).

Mindy Caliguire

Mindy is the founder and president of Soul Care www.soulcare.com, a spiritual formation ministry. She served in the area of spiritual formation at Willow Creek Community Church from 2001 to 2004, concentrating on membership, prayer, curriculum development, and “soul care” for individual staff teams. Prior to Willow, she and her husband Jeff planted a church in the Boston area, where she served in a variety of leadership roles for ten years and launched Soul Care in 1998. Mindy is the author of the Soul Care ® study guides, Discovering Soul Care and Spiritual Friendship, and is a contributor to Leadership Journal and Conversations magazines.

Metamopha contributions: Worship (journal).

Betsy Barber

Dr. Barber has a clinical practice with specialization in the soul care and mental health of Christian workers. She teaches courses in spiritual formation, soul care, missions, maturity, and marital relationships. She has particular interest in spiritual formation and supervision of students in spiritual direction and mentoring. She has worked with her husband as a missionary in Bible translation and counseling ministries for 24 years. In addition to being a licensed clinical psychologist, she has background and training in spiritual direction.

Metamorpha contributions: What is Spiritual Direction? (video), What is the Difference Betweeen Spiritual Direction and Counselling, Mentoring and Discipleship? (video).

Steve Porter

Steve Porter is an assistant professor of theology and philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University. Steve received his PhD in Philosophy at USC under Dallas Willard. His areas of interest include: integrative theology of sanctification, integration of psychology and theology, and philosophical theology. He lives with his wife Alicia and son Luke in Long Beach, California.

Metamorpha contributions: What is Spiritual Formation? (video), What is the Sanctification Gap? (video), Sanctification in a New Key: Relieving Evangelical Anxieties Over Spiritual Formation (article), Why is it important to have a clear understanding of Sanctification?

John Coe

Dr. Coe teaches and writes in the areas of spirituality, theology and psychological maturity, and gender issues as well as the integration between theology, psychology, philosophy, and ethics. His research focuses on examining models of integration, interfacing theology and the church with psychology, and determining how psychology and theology inform ethics. He has a special interest in the relationship between Old Testament/Wisdom Literature/New Testament theology and psychological maturity.

 
Metamorpha contributions: What is Spiritual Formation? (video), How has Spiritual Formation Impacted Your Own Life? (video), What is the Moral Temptation? (video).

Michael Wilkins

Dr. Wilkins specializes in New Testament theology, Christology, and discipleship. He is author of Matthew (NIVAC); Following the Master: Biblical Theology of Discipleship; "Matthew" (ZIBBC); In His Image: Reflecting Christ in Everyday Life; and Discipleship in the Ancient World. Dr. Wilkins was co-editor of Worship, Theology and Ministry in the Early Church (Festschrift for Ralph Martin) and with J.P. Moreland, Jesus Under Fire. He published articles in the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Society of Biblical Literature, Anchor Bible Dictionary, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, Discipleship Journal, and Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology.

Metamorpha contributions: What is Spiritual Formation? (video), What is the Role of the Bible in Spiritual Formation? (video), What is the Difference Between Discipleship and Spiritual Formation? (video).

Judy TenElshof

Dr. TenElshof has established and directed counseling centers in churches and Christian schools and is founder and Vice President of Hilltop Renewal Center for Christian leaders. She has authored several journal articles along with chapters in Foundations of Ministry: An Introduction to Christian Education for a New Generation; Short-Term Missions Boom: The Guide to International and Domestic Involvement; and the Christian Education Dictionary. Dr. TenElshof co-authored Women and Men in Ministry: A Complementary Perspective.

Larry Warner

Larry Warner is executive director of “b”, which is a ministry that provides spiritual direction, contemplative retreats, and holistic leadership development for pastors, ministry leaders, and church staffs. He is a spiritual director, adjunct professor and directs the training and ongoing development of spiritual directors throughout Southern California. Larry has a varied vocational background having spent 12 years as a youth pastor in the Los Angeles area, 6 years as a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff and another 10 years as a senior pastor in San Diego. He is also the co-author of Imaginative Prayer in Youth Ministry (Zondervan,2007). His desire is to give others the tools and opportunities to experience a growing and deepening relationship with God and thus become the unique pastor, leader, person God has created them to be.

Larry has a B.A. in Biblical Studies, Masters of Theology, has completed a program in Spiritual Formation and Direction at Azusa Pacific University’s Graduate School, and has completed a two-year program in Spiritual Direction at the University of San Diego.

Metamorpha contributions: The Question (journal), The Four Seasons (journal), Honesty (journal).