Haven: Asceticism, Spiritual Formation, and Youth Ministry

This essay reflects upon the application of a field of scholarly study— ascetic theology— to a ministerial context: youth ministry. The goal here is to offer an example of and reflections upon the application of a personal scholarly interest to ministerial contexts. The essay begins with an assessment of the ministry context, illustrating the problems that demanded attention and solution. It then outlines the sociological and theological theories of asceticism that informed the proposed solution. Having discussed the foundational context and ideas, the next section describes in detail the proposed solution named Haven and elaborates on the ascetic theory behind it. The essay concludes with practical and theological reflection on Haven as an application of theoretical research to ministerial practice.