Research

Looking back on my formation within two very different church communities, I’m struck by how often the call to follow Jesus produces sharply contrasting visions of human flourishing—what we might call the good life.

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Here lies the challenge: most church formation—both personal and communal—rarely engages with a robust theological vision of the good life. Instead, it quietly absorbs cultural scripts that equate happiness with self-fulfilment.

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If church communities want to avoid malformation, reflective practice must sit at the heart of church life. Without theological reflection, we risk baptizing secular notions of happiness as Christian.

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Joanne Abernethy recently completed her masters thesis with Laidlaw College.