Document Type
Article
Abstract
How do we become people of good character? Our default answer might include individual practices or a new program of self-discipline. This white paper will challenge that answer by introducing a more complex framework. For the Christian, spiritual maturity (“being sanctified through and through,” 1 Thess. 5:23) requires the development of virtue, empowered by the Holy Spirit, for life within the kingdom community.
- We are created for love and belonging in a life of communion with the Trinitarian God and with our neighbors. The goal of cultivating virtue is to be fitted for good community and to function well within it.
- To that end, Christian virtue formation must acknowledge the role of conversion and cruciform transformation. Self-giving love does not come naturally to us.
- Developing virtues takes time, teachers, and training. Our current context for growth— this broken world—is aimed at shalom, though that end is not yet fully realized. Therefore, we should expect both our own character and our world to remain works in progress.
- Balancing the roles of human agency and effort with the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit requires careful theological nuance.
- Christian virtues can and should be cultivated in situations that push us out of our comfort zone. When we face such opportunities for growth, a community that provides a secure base, along with encouragement, exemplars, and accountability, is essential.
- Specific virtues of reliance on God (e.g., hope, humility) and right relation to God and neighbor-in-God (e.g., gratitude, love) play a distinctive role in Christian formation.
Publication Date
2026
Recommended Citation
DeYoung, Rebecca Konyndyk, "Virtue Development A Christian Perspective on Character Formation in Community" (2026). University Faculty Publications and Creative Works. 1154.
https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/calvin_facultypubs/1154
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