{"id":622,"date":"2019-11-02T07:44:44","date_gmt":"2019-11-02T12:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/?p=622"},"modified":"2023-05-14T19:02:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T00:02:28","slug":"christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Christ Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I have begun to explore habit training once more. In this post I want to explore what it means to consider students as whole persons and address questions stemming from our being spiritual persons. What does it mean for Christians to apply habit training?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The greatest liability of education is an undue focus on the intellect. One of the chief concerns teachers have when they plan their lessons is the conveyance of knowledge. This is indeed an important aspect of teaching. But this is not the only aspect of teaching and perhaps actually not the most important, despite the fact that the intellect or mind would seem to be the chief organ we\u2019re concerned with in education. This misunderstanding of our educational aims has the potential to misalign our goals and strategies as educators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In previous posts<\/a>, I have shown how a focus on intellectual knowledge has been the chief concern of educational thinkers and policy makers over the past several decades, who boil down the intellect to standards of intellectual achievement measured by standardized testing. Don\u2019t get me wrong, the intellect needs to be trained and it is a lofty goal for educators to train the minds of our young ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"girl<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The point I will make here, though, is that there is so much more to a person than just their intellect, and that it is essential for educators to consider the whole person if we are to properly align our goals and strategies. If the mind is not the only organ of learning, then we do our students a disservice by only training that organ. As we explore what it means to educate the whole person, we will draw upon the wisdom of ancient and modern thinkers as they express the power of habit training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith All Your Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we speak about the whole person, what do we mean? Let us consider the human person from a biblical perspective. Human beings are embodied souls. The concept of imago Dei<\/em> in Genesis 1:26-27 means there is a spark of divinity that resides within each individual person. The embodiment of this divine spark means, however, that we are physical creatures, existing temporally, regulated by the laws of our natural universe. The imago Dei<\/em> connects us to our creator such that our soul’s greatest desire is to relate to God. The Hebrew Bible expresses this in terms of a law: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.\u201d (Deut. 6:5) <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This tripartite expression of our personhood considers three organs: heart, soul, and body. This tripartite division, though, is not as cut and dried as we might want. Ancient thinkers as well as Christian theologians have noted the will<\/a>, conscience, intuition, reason, imagination, emotion and, yes, the intellect as other constituent parts of our being. Grappling with what we are and what we are made of is not a straightforward exercise. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 in Mark 12:30 and includes an interesting word: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The mind has now been added to the list. Matthew and Luke condense the list back down to three – soul, mind and strength – combining heart and mind as synonyms for the same organ. The biblical testimony is that we are complex creatures, multifaceted, resonant with our Creator, and fit with diverse organs that operate a wide array of human functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"James<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In his book You Are What You Love<\/em>, James K. A. Smith<\/a> connects our multifaceted nature to learning. He writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every approach to discipleship and Christian formation assumes an implicit model of what human beings are. While these assumption usually remain unarticulated, we nonetheless work with some fundamental (though unstated) assumptions about what sorts of creatures we are—and therefore what sorts of learners we are. If being a disciple is being a learner and follower of Jesus, then a lot hinges on what you think \u2018learning\u2019 is. And what you think learning is hinges on what you think human beings are. In other words, your understanding of discipleship will reflect a set of working assumptions about the very nature of human beings, even if you\u2019ve never asked yourself such questions. <\/p>Smith, You Are What You Love<\/em>, 2-3<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What Smith enables us to see is that our model of learning and discipleship hinges on our model of human nature. If we fundamentally think of human beings as physical creatures, our model of teaching will be like training<\/a>. If we fundamentally think of human beings as intellectual, our model for teaching becomes knowledge transfer. Smith challenges the latter of these understandings of human beings, noting that an intellectual model of \u201cassumes that learning (and hence discipleship) is primarily a matter of depositing ideas and beliefs into mind-containers\u201d (3). One might expect Smith to draw upon James for support (\u201cI will show you my faith by my works\u201d), but he actually turns to Paul, quoting his prayer in Philippians 9-11. The key phrase for him is \u201cthat your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.\u201d We can note along with Smith that the order is not that knowledge may abound, although the mind is not far behind. Instead it is that love may abound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a very different model of the human person at work here. Instead of the rationalist, intellectualist model that implies, \u201cYou are what you think,\u201d Paul\u2019s prayer hints at a very different conviction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are what you love<\/em>.\u201d | What if, instead of starting from the assumption that human beings are thinking things, we started from the conviction that human beings are first and foremost lovers<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>Smith, You Are What You Love<\/em>, 7<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For Smith, the heart better models the seat of learning and discipleship than the mind. This shift in models for learning means that education is not merely knowledge work, but the cultivation of affections. In order to cultivate the whole person in this fuller understanding of what it means to be a human being, habit training becomes an essential tool for learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common Grace Habits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Training the heart comes by instilling habits. This concept, though, has often raised questions in the minds of Christian parents and educators. We can only love because he first loved us. The work of justification and sanctification comes through the work of the Holy Spirit. Isn\u2019t habit training a circumvention of God\u2019s work in our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jason has written previously on habit training<\/a>, connecting the dots between moral virtues as expressed by Plato and Aristotle and the Christian doctrine of common grace. His point was so well made that it deserves rearticulation here. He makes the point that even though human beings are born fallen, depraved and sinful, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201chuman society would completely fly off the rails if God did not also grant the grace of moral virtue, distributed generally (i.e. in common) to people, regardless of their spiritual condition.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Jason goes on to distinguish the theological virtues of faith, hope and love, which we would say are \u201cimparted by the Holy Spirit as a result of true repentance,\u201d and the cardinal virtues (such as courage, temperance and prudence), which are cultivated by habit or practice. We hear similar refrains from Aristotle and from the wisdom tradition in the Old Testament. In his Nichomachean Ethics<\/em>, Aristotle writes, \u201cThe virtues (\u03b1\u1f31 \u1f00\u03c1\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03af) on the other hand we acquire by first having actually practised them (\u1f10\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ae\u03c3\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2).\u201d (Nichomachean Ethics <\/em>2:1 or 1103a15-b25; trans. H. Rackham). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A similar refrain echoes in Psalm 111:10, \u201cThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.\u201d Or consider Proverbs 22:6, \u201cTrain up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.\u201d The wise and virtuous person acquires good habits through training or practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"gymnast<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Returning to our theme, it is noteworthy that virtue and wisdom are acquired through a process that is fairly physical in nature. Constant repetition, like a gymnast practicing<\/a> a routine or a baseball player repeatedly swinging a bat, is the impression these passages leave us with. This is far more effective than a mere appeal to the intellect by way of a lecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christ Our Habitude<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Building on Jason\u2019s work regarding the connection between habit training and common grace, I would like to make the case for habit training<\/a> as likewise essential to our understanding of saving grace. It is a common misunderstanding of the doctrine of justification by faith apart from works to think that human effort has no place in God\u2019s salvific work. One might call upon James to make this point (\u201cI will show you my faith by my works\u201d), but we can find this point made repeatedly in Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1 Timothy 4, Paul exhorts Timothy to train disciples in the faith, \u201cbeing trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.\u201d We might tend to focus on Paul\u2019s injunction in 4:11, \u201cCommand and teach these things.\u201d This is quickly followed by Paul telling Timothy to devote himself to \u201cthe public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.\u201d Here is the appeal to the intellect, right? However, we should examine the advice Paul gives Timothy leading up to this command. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul says in 4:7, \u201ctrain yourself for godliness\u201d equating this to bodily training in 4:8, noting that training in godliness is of greater importance to bodily training. Paul notes that we toil and strive in this pursuit of godliness, secure in the \u201chope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.\u201d (4:10). So it is not actually an appeal to the intellect that Paul advises, but that Timothy should command and teach this very physical pursuit of godliness. Timothy himself should be an example in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, laying out the pathway his disciples should follow in their pursuit of godliness. This is a very active faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul\u2019s advice to Timothy resonates with what he writes to the Philippians. Here we can clarify the uselessness of works or effort as it relates to merit. Paul writes in Philippians 3:9 that he is \u201cfound in him, not having a righteousness of [his] own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.\u201d Human works are worthless in terms of meriting salvation. God saves based on the work of Christ, which is appropriated through faith, not by works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Paul goes on to describe a faith that is very active. \u201cI press on,\u201d he writes in 3:12, \u201cto make it my own.\u201d Paul is making a habitation in Christ. When a person is justified, they now live \u201cin Christ.\u201d We take on the habits that are consistent with Christ, training out the bad habits and training in the good habits so that our lives become more and more conformed to the image of Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christian discipleship according to Paul is a putting on of Christ Jesus. This is what it means to take up our cross daily. We become habituated through regularly reconnecting with the cross of Christ. Habit training as a spiritual exercise enable us to live in Christ, to have Christ as our habitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daily Spiritual Habits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Education is not merely about training the intellect. Our exploration of theological concepts has assisted us in conceptualizing how habit training<\/a> permeates the entirety of God\u2019s grace in our lives. Education deals with the heart and soul as much as it deals with the mind. To that end I would like to briefly consider a number of daily habits worthy of consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pray always. That\u2019s a tall order. How many of us faced with the immensity of constant prayer wind up never praying, even though we are intellectually committed to the benefits of prayer. Establishing a daily habit of prayer takes some planning. If you would like to grow in consistency of prayer, attach prayer to an already established habit. If you make coffee for yourself every morning, add prayer to that routine. Maybe brushing your teeth every evening is a solid habit. Build another habit on top of it by spending some time in prayer afterwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"woman<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To form habits, one must be able to accomplish something regularly and consistently. So don\u2019t set yourself a goal of an hour in prayer every day if you haven\u2019t done five minutes consistently. Instead, set a small goal – like five minutes – that you know you can do automatically every time. You are likely to do more, but your small goal means you are more likely to follow through each time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gratitude has become a catchphrase in positive psychology<\/a> these days. Yet Scripture calls us to give thanks regularly. For instance, steadfast prayer is coupled with thanksgiving in Colossians 4:2. In the rush of our daily routines, it can be difficult to pause and reflect on the good God has accomplished in our lives each and every day. Just like prayer, we can add a moment of thanksgiving into our daily routines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many practices faithful Christians have found meaningful for their lives. Perhaps there\u2019s a practice you feel called to make a regular part of your life. Personal habit training can be a means to a deeper walk with God in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to learn more about habit training, download my free eBook A Guide to Implementing Habit Training<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have begun to explore habit training once more. In this post I want to explore what it means to consider students as whole persons and address questions stemming from our being spiritual persons. What does it mean for Christians to apply habit training? The greatest liability of education is an undue focus on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[33],"tags":[2,94,18,149,150,73,122,148,146,147,6],"class_list":["post-622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biblical-worldview","tag-aristotle","tag-common-grace","tag-educating-the-whole-person","tag-gratitude","tag-habit-training","tag-habits","tag-image-of-god","tag-prayer","tag-spiritual-habit-training","tag-training","tag-virtue"],"yoast_head":"\nChrist Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education •<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Educators tend to focus on the intellect to the neglect of the whole person. Habit training focuses instead on the heart following Jesus and Paul in the NT.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Christ Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education •\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Educators tend to focus on the intellect to the neglect of the whole person. Habit training focuses instead on the heart following Jesus and Paul in the NT.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-02T12:44:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-15T00:02:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible-1024x727.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"727\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Patrick Egan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Patrick Egan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Patrick Egan\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2d4cdc44e87637ecf2c2c4327e66ade6\"},\"headline\":\"Christ Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-02T12:44:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-15T00:02:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/\"},\"wordCount\":2289,\"commentCount\":2,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2d4cdc44e87637ecf2c2c4327e66ade6\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=4431%2C3144&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Aristotle\",\"common grace\",\"educating the whole person\",\"gratitude\",\"habit training\",\"habits\",\"image of God\",\"prayer\",\"spiritual habit training\",\"training\",\"virtue\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Biblical worldview\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/\",\"name\":\"Christ Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education •\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=4431%2C3144&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-02T12:44:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-15T00:02:28+00:00\",\"description\":\"Educators tend to focus on the intellect to the neglect of the whole person. Habit training focuses instead on the heart following Jesus and Paul in the NT.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=4431%2C3144&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=4431%2C3144&ssl=1\",\"width\":4431,\"height\":3144,\"caption\":\"woman exercising the habit of Bible reading and prayer\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Christ Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/\",\"name\":\"\",\"description\":\"Promoting a Rebirth of Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Era\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2d4cdc44e87637ecf2c2c4327e66ade6\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2d4cdc44e87637ecf2c2c4327e66ade6\",\"name\":\"Patrick Egan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cropped-Screenshot-2025-02-23-at-10.17.57%E2%80%AFPM-1.png?fit=1093%2C995&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cropped-Screenshot-2025-02-23-at-10.17.57%E2%80%AFPM-1.png?fit=1093%2C995&ssl=1\",\"width\":1093,\"height\":995,\"caption\":\"Patrick Egan\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Christ Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education •","description":"Educators tend to focus on the intellect to the neglect of the whole person. Habit training focuses instead on the heart following Jesus and Paul in the NT.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Christ Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education •","og_description":"Educators tend to focus on the intellect to the neglect of the whole person. Habit training focuses instead on the heart following Jesus and Paul in the NT.","og_url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/","article_published_time":"2019-11-02T12:44:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-05-15T00:02:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":727,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible-1024x727.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Patrick Egan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Patrick Egan","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/"},"author":{"name":"Patrick Egan","@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2d4cdc44e87637ecf2c2c4327e66ade6"},"headline":"Christ Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education","datePublished":"2019-11-02T12:44:44+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-15T00:02:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/"},"wordCount":2289,"commentCount":2,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2d4cdc44e87637ecf2c2c4327e66ade6"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=4431%2C3144&ssl=1","keywords":["Aristotle","common grace","educating the whole person","gratitude","habit training","habits","image of God","prayer","spiritual habit training","training","virtue"],"articleSection":["Biblical worldview"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/","url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/","name":"Christ Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education •","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=4431%2C3144&ssl=1","datePublished":"2019-11-02T12:44:44+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-15T00:02:28+00:00","description":"Educators tend to focus on the intellect to the neglect of the whole person. Habit training focuses instead on the heart following Jesus and Paul in the NT.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=4431%2C3144&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=4431%2C3144&ssl=1","width":4431,"height":3144,"caption":"woman exercising the habit of Bible reading and prayer"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/02\/christ-our-habitation-a-consideration-of-spiritual-habit-training-in-education\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Christ Our Habitation: A Consideration of Spiritual Habit Training in Education"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/","name":"","description":"Promoting a Rebirth of Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Era","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2d4cdc44e87637ecf2c2c4327e66ade6"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2d4cdc44e87637ecf2c2c4327e66ade6","name":"Patrick Egan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cropped-Screenshot-2025-02-23-at-10.17.57%E2%80%AFPM-1.png?fit=1093%2C995&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cropped-Screenshot-2025-02-23-at-10.17.57%E2%80%AFPM-1.png?fit=1093%2C995&ssl=1","width":1093,"height":995,"caption":"Patrick Egan"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/"},"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=4431%2C3144&ssl=1","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=4431%2C3144&ssl=1",4431,3144,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=300%2C213&ssl=1",300,213,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=768%2C545&ssl=1",768,545,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=1024%2C727&ssl=1",1024,727,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=1536%2C1090&ssl=1",1536,1090,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Canva-Woman-Reading-the-Bible.jpg?fit=2048%2C1453&ssl=1",2048,1453,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Patrick Egan","author_link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":2,"uagb_excerpt":"I have begun to explore habit training once more. In this post I want to explore what it means to consider students as whole persons and address questions stemming from our being spiritual persons. What does it mean for Christians to apply habit training? The greatest liability of education is an undue focus on the…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa7K1D-a2","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1236,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2020\/05\/16\/habit-training-during-online-distance-learning\/","url_meta":{"origin":622,"position":0},"title":"Habit Training during Online Distance Learning","author":"Patrick Egan","date":"May 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Everything changed a couple months ago when school went online. At-home learning has caused every school to attempt schooling in new and creative ways. We can also get creative about habit training during online distance learning. I shared my new eBook on habit training in the classroom about a month\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Charlotte Mason"","block_context":{"text":"Charlotte Mason","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/charlotte-mason\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/remotelyworking_750x348-2.jpg?fit=615%2C409&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/remotelyworking_750x348-2.jpg?fit=615%2C409&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/remotelyworking_750x348-2.jpg?fit=615%2C409&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1352,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2020\/06\/27\/summer-conference-edition\/","url_meta":{"origin":622,"position":1},"title":"Summer Conference Edition","author":"Patrick Egan","date":"June 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome Summer Conference Attendees to Educational Renaissance It's a busy summer . . . of staying home. In previous years you may have traveled to take in several of the summer conferences that are part of our classical Christian schooling movement. This summer everyone's staying home and attending conferences virtually.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Updates"","block_context":{"text":"Updates","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Untitled-design-1.png?fit=940%2C788&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Untitled-design-1.png?fit=940%2C788&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Untitled-design-1.png?fit=940%2C788&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Untitled-design-1.png?fit=940%2C788&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2334,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/10\/16\/fostering-grit-through-charlotte-masons-practice-of-habit-training\/","url_meta":{"origin":622,"position":2},"title":"Fostering Grit Through Charlotte Mason’s Practice of Habit Training","author":"Kolby Atchison","date":"October 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"We write and speak often at Educational Renaissance about the importance of cultivating good habits (you can listen to our podcast on habit training here). Habits are, as Charlotte Mason put it, the railways of the good life (Home Education, p. 101). A person with good habits experiences a life\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Charlotte Mason"","block_context":{"text":"Charlotte Mason","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/charlotte-mason\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Handwriting.png?fit=680%2C510&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Handwriting.png?fit=680%2C510&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Handwriting.png?fit=680%2C510&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":296,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/03\/25\/excellence-comes-by-habit-aristotle-on-moral-virtue\/","url_meta":{"origin":622,"position":3},"title":"Excellence Comes by Habit: Aristotle on Moral Virtue","author":"Jason Barney","date":"March 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"All too often we are inclined to think of excellence as the product of good genes and good fortune rather than our personal habits. The fates bestow their blessings indiscriminately and haphazardly, and the talented and successful are the lucky recipients of excellence, while the rest of us are mired\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Classical Tradition"","block_context":{"text":"Classical Tradition","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/classical-tradition\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aristotle close-up as famously portrayed by Raphael with arm stretched forward indicating his engagement in the human world of moral excellence, virtue and habits","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/raphael_detail-aristotle-from-the-school-of-athens.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/raphael_detail-aristotle-from-the-school-of-athens.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/raphael_detail-aristotle-from-the-school-of-athens.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/raphael_detail-aristotle-from-the-school-of-athens.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/raphael_detail-aristotle-from-the-school-of-athens.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2080,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/05\/29\/moral-virtue-and-the-intellectual-virtue-of-artistry-or-craftsmanship\/","url_meta":{"origin":622,"position":4},"title":"Moral Virtue and the Intellectual Virtue of Artistry or Craftsmanship","author":"Jason Barney","date":"May 29, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It might seem strange after the paradigm delineated above to focus our attention back on intellectual virtues alone, just after arguing for the holistic Christian purpose of education: the cultivation of moral, intellectual and spiritual virtues. But it is impossible to do everything in a single series or book. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Classical Tradition"","block_context":{"text":"Classical Tradition","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/classical-tradition\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":819,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/12\/28\/20-of-the-most-memorable-maxims-from-2019-educational-renaissance\/","url_meta":{"origin":622,"position":5},"title":"20 of the Most Memorable Maxims from 2019 Educational Renaissance","author":"Jason Barney","date":"December 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The end of the year is a good time to take stock and review how far we've come. These last few days I've been doing this, both for myself through rereading my bullet journals, but also for Educational Renaissance by rereading all the old articles of 2019 in search of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Updates"","block_context":{"text":"Updates","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"journal on the table for reviewing the year","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canva-Journal-on-the-Table.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canva-Journal-on-the-Table.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canva-Journal-on-the-Table.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canva-Journal-on-the-Table.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canva-Journal-on-the-Table.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2430,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622\/revisions\/2430"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}