The education of prospective ministers as an invitation to life: Moving from moral failure to moral excellence through a process of moral formation

Résumé 0

This article discusses the importance of the moral formation of students who are in training for the Christian ministry. Moral formation is defined and its importance is discussed with reference to the scholarly debate, both in South Africa and elsewhere. The complex nature of moral formation, the individuality of students and the multiplicity of contexts in which formation takes place are noted. A model that has God's grace and human volition at its core and discusses the goals, obstacles and means of moral formation, is presented. It extends beyond a 'head, hearts and hands' approach and discusses the crucial areas of thinking, being, relating and doing. It seeks to avoid the extremes of both indoctrination and laissez-faire non-involvement with ministerial students.