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Contents of
Issue 64 Winter/Spring 2005
- Models of
Direction - Dorothy Nicholson
- Spirituality, language and the
depth of reality (Part 1 of an edited version of an article by
Rachel Stanworth from the International Journal of Palliative
Nursing, 1997, Vol. 3, No. 1) (text not online)
- Where we've been - where we are
- The Editor (text not online)
MODELS
OF DIRECTION
by Dorothy Nicholson (Vicar of St
Mary & St John the Divine, Balham, and one of the founders of
SPIDIR)
There are many different ways of
perceiving the role of a spiritual director and it is easier to
understand those ways by looking at various role models. Each model
is something of a caricature and most people although working from a
basic model will dip into other models according to the direction
situation.
The model that we tend to work from
is usually to do with our own personal experience of direction, our
understanding of God and our understanding of the church.
Spiritual direction may come in a
group setting. Examples of such groups are:
- faith sharing
- contemplative prayer group with
sharing
- small discussion group
- review of life group
- spiritual counselling group
The thrust of this article is
however one-to-one direction. All models have value, but some are
not so useful for the infrequent, ongoing spiritual direction of lay
folk as they are for the intensive and frequent spiritual direction
and formation training of clergy and religious.
The seven
models are:
- institutional
- communion
- sacramental
- charismatic
- witness/herald
- loving friendship
- servant/incarnational.
1. The
Institutional Model
The institutional model of spiritual direction is one where the
spiritual director is appointed by the institution, e.g. the
spiritual director in a seminary or a novice guardian in a
community. The director's power and authority come from the
institution. Here, spiritual direction is seen mainly in terms of
spiritual formation and moulding. There is a strong educative
element in this model. It is based on a strong authority pattern
where there is disparity between the director and the directee. The
director alone takes responsibility.
Advantages:
There is clarity in formation because instruction is not left to
chance. The director is someone approved by the institution as
spiritually mature and experienced.
Weaknesses: There is minimal
choice (if any) of spiritual director. There is a given lifestyle
and spiritual practice of the institution which the director may try
to foster rather than evoke a natural personal growth.
2. The
Communion Model
The emphasis of the director is on the growth of the community.
There is less emphasis on the personal growth of the individual. The
main concern is on reconciliation and promoting peace and harmony.
Advantages:
Helps to bring awareness of the church as community and one's own
position and value within that community.
Weaknesses: May neglect the
prophetic element of the gospel. May overlook the need for personal
challenge and confrontation.
3.
Sacramental
The director is the sacred mediator - he or she is in loco Christi -
represents Christ. This is most usually seen in the context of the
sacrament of penance. In this model the words spoken by the priest,
as Christ's representative, have a much greater significance than
human opinion or advice.
Advantages:
When combined with spiritual direction the sacrament of penance
becomes much more balanced. Direction brings fullness to the
sacrament and itself finds a 'proper" setting within the
sacrament.
Weaknesses: Because of the
context there is often a restriction of time and content on
spiritual direction. The priest is the only qualified director and
there is the danger of the priest having a holy aura. There may be a
tendency toward the magical or superstitious and the belief that
whatever the priest says must be divinely inspired.
4.
Charismatic
This model of direction has its basis in Paul's description of
gifts. The stress is on the special character of the person who is a
'spiritual discerner'. This type of direction is very rare and it is
frequently life long. It is never sought. It is usually provoked by
something unusual and is akin to the direction in the lives of the
saints. This kind of direction requires a very special kind of gift
and it is of this that Theresa of Avila writes There is not one in a
thousand'. Francis de Sales claims not one in ten thousand.
Direction is defined in terms of insight or infused intuition from
God. This kind of direction has an aura of the marvellous about it.
The emphasis appears to focus on arcane directions, special divine
messages which come from the "reading of a soul" by an
inspired director.
Advantages:
The gift of discernment given to the director. This relationship is
pure gift; it cannot be engineered. Both are caught up in the
atmosphere of the divine. The direction process receives a proper
emphasis of being more than human technique and human response.
Weaknesses: These may become
apparent if there is too great a significance attributed to the
power of God's grace e.g. looking for God's grace only in the
spectacular restricts God's gifts to the extraordinary. If this were
the only form of spiritual direction then direction would be an
extraordinary means in the life of the spiritual tradition of the
Church. If that were so it would be for the special people. Another
weakness is that it usually fosters a dependency relationship. There
is no mutuality. The director is a kind of Guru.
5.
Witness/Herald
In this model the emphasis is on the prophetic. The director is
authoritative and directive. He is concerned to ensure that the
directee may truly hear the Word of God and be pierced to
repentance. There is a strong emphasis on conversion. It imparts
certainty and is anti-syncretistic.
Advantages:
It is a strong and optimistic message for those who follow Jesus. It
has a clarity of expression.
Weaknesses: It may create a
sense of guilt if the directee does not experience all that he or
she ought. It may be triumphalist. It may have difficulty allowing
the negative except in terms of back-sliding.
6. Loving
Friendship
Spiritual direction is defined in terms of a personal relationship.
It is marked by equality between two, often mature Christians. The
direction is seen as an accompanying of each other on the spiritual
journey. There is friendly sharing of deep and intimate spirituality
and loving support. The direction is often mutual. There may be a
difference of competence between the two people but this is not to
be interpreted as superiority or authority.
Advantages:
There is the presence of a loving, caring relationship, the free
gift of self to the other; and then the self disclosure which a
enabled to flow freely in such a relationship.
Weaknesses: There may be too
much stress on the purely human. The friendship may blind each other
to areas that need attention. The people involved may become so
enamoured with each other that God gets left out!
7. The
Servant or Incarnational Model
Direction is seen in the ordinariness of one person helping another
to clarify and objectify God's will in his or her life. Spiritual
direction is the relationship of two people caught up in the power
and presence of God within what is a very ordinary encounter. Both
are aware that the true director is the Holy Spirit. Both know that
this ordinary encounter can be the means of real privilege and grace
No aspect of life is left out in this model The growth of the whole
person is the aim, so there is encouragement to become more human,
to become what God had made them to be. It is outward rather than
inward looking. There is a concern for justice and peace. The
director strives to be alongside the directee and to identify with
him/her.
Advantages:
This model helps the directee to explore and discern where God is in
his/her life- It maintains a sure emphasis on the humanness of the
spiritual direction relationship whilst recognising growth as a gift
from God. It is deeply in tune with the whole process of renewal in
the Church. It builds upon a contemporary understanding of
Christology and ecclesiology.
Weaknesses: It may drift into a
good human relationship that is sprinkled with pious words. The
direction relationship may look so ordinary that it may lead to
assumption that it can be given and received by anyone and everyone.
Because it encompasses the whole of life it could lead to a lack of
preciseness in discernment and direction. Or to confusion and no
clear understanding of the concerns of direction or the ways of
going about it. It may also lead to a lack of clarity about the
quality of the spiritual direction relationship.
In summary
all the models I have described are a part of our
understanding of the ministry of spiritual direction. Each model has
its strengths and weakness. Although it is rare for anyone to work
exclusively from one model, nevertheless most of us will favour one
model as pivotal into which we blend other models and use that as
the basis of our work in directing others.
(D.N. is grateful to Philip
Sheldrake, Richard Buck, and others for several of the ideas in this
article.)
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