THE IMAGE OF GOD AND IDENTITY: IDENTITY FORMATION IN EMERGING GENERATIONS A THESIS-PROJECT
 SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY
 CHARLIE BROXTON DECEMBER 2019 Copyright © 2019 by Charlie Broxton. All Rights Reserved. For Dayspring, without whom this thesis would not exist. Thank you for encouraging me, challenging me, believing in me, picking up the slack for me, and kicking me in the pants when I needed it. CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS ......................................................................................................................... ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ xi ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER 1: THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING .................................................................... 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 History of Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood in America ...................................... 2 Key Terms and Phrases .................................................................................................... 3 Conflicting Opinions on Emerging Adulthood ............................................................... 4 The Final Evaluation ......................................................................................................... 6 Defining Characteristics of Emerging Adulthood .......................................................... 7 The Doorway to Adulthood: Individuation ................................................................... 17 The Enemy of Individuation: The Patchwork Self ....................................................... 22 Identity Confusion ........................................................................................................... 24 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 42 Thesis ................................................................................................................................ 42 CHAPTER 2: THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK ......................................................................... 44 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 44 iv Identity and The Power of The Stories .......................................................................... 47 Evangelical Theologies of The Image of God ................................................................ 55 Conclusion on The Evangelical Theologies of The Image of God ............................... 61 The Image of God: God’s Intentions for Human Identity ........................................... 61 Act 1: Created in The Image of God: Creation of Human Identity ............................ 65 Image and Identity—An Identity-Defining Connection to God ............................ 65 Image and Purpose: A Purpose-Determining Reflection of God .......................... 78 An Excursive Question: Is the Image of God an Individual or Communal Identity? ........................................................................................................................................... 90 Act 2: Subversion of The Image of God and Perversion of Human Identity ............. 93 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 93 Transition from Act 1 to Act 2 .............................................................................. 94 Images and Identity: Identity-Deforming Connections ......................................... 96 Images and Purpose: Purpose-Corrupting Reflections ........................................ 105 The Golden Calf: The Paradigm for the Subversion of the Image of God and Perversion of Human Identity .............................................................................. 109 Act 3: Re-Created in the Image of God: Renewal of Human Identity ..................... 111 The New Testament and the Image of God ......................................................... 111 The Perfect Image and Identity: An Ever-Deepening Identity-Defining Connection to God ............................................................................................... 114 The Perfect Image and Purpose: An Ever-Increasing Purpose-Determining Reflection of God ................................................................................................ 119 v Conclusion to Chapter 2 ................................................................................................ 126 CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................... 129 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 129 People of the Goal ............................................................................................... 129 Three Problematic Issues ..................................................................................... 131 Growing in Grace ................................................................................................ 134 Three Models of Christian Formation ......................................................................... 136 Model 1—Person as Thinker: Knowing Things .................................................. 136 Model 2—Person as Believer: Believing Animals .............................................. 138 Model 3—Person as Lover: Desiring Animals .................................................... 139 A Theoretical Look at the “Person as Lover” Model of Christian Formation ........ 141 Introduction to the Theoretical Look at the “Person as Lover” Model ............... 141 Element 1 of Person as Lover Model —Cultural Liturgies: Love’s Formation .. 142 Element 2 of Person as Lover Model—Habits of the Heart: Love’s Fulcrum .... 152 Element 3 of Person as Lover Model—Ultimate Desires: Love’s Aim .............. 157 Element 4 of Person as Lover Model —A Kingdom: Love’s End ...................... 160 Element 5 of Person as Lover Model —An Identity: Love’s Reflection ............ 163 A Practical Look at the “Person as Lover” Model of Christian Formation ............ 165 Action 1: Focus on the Goal ................................................................................ 166 Action 2: Commit to a Covenant Community ..................................................... 169 Action 3: Disentangle from Cultural Liturgies .................................................... 172 Action 4: Submit to the Counterliturgies of Communal Weekly Worship ......... 177 vi Action 5: Submit to the Counterliturgies of Daily Worship ................................ 205 Conclusion to Chapter 3 ................................................................................................ 241 CHAPTER 4: PROJECT DESIGN ............................................................................................. 242 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 242 Four Key Elements of Model ........................................................................................ 243 A Model for Age-Stage Ministry .................................................................................. 249 Birth to Seven-Year-Old Stage ............................................................................ 251 Seven to Nine-Year-Old Stage ............................................................................ 254 Nine to Twelve-Year-Old Stage .......................................................................... 257 13 to 16-Year-Old Stage ...................................................................................... 260 16 to 18-Year-Old Stage ...................................................................................... 264 Research Methodology .................................................................................................. 265 Evaluation of the Research Results .............................................................................. 269 CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH RESULTS ....................................................................................... 270 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 270 Results from the 5 Likert Scale Questions .................................................................. 271 The Effectiveness of Catechism .................................................................................... 275 Problematic Areas ......................................................................................................... 278 Next Steps ....................................................................................................................... 281 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 285 vii APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................. 287 Appendix A: Communion Workshop Curriculum .................................................... 287 Appendix B: Catechism Overview ............................................................................... 298 Appendix C: Catechism Tri-Fold Informational Brochure ...................................... 300 Appendix D: Confirmation Overview .......................................................................... 302 Appendix E: Resources For Christian Practices ........................................................ 304 Appendix F: Interview Transcripts ............................................................................. 309 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 341 VITA ............................................................................................................................................ 358 viii ILLUSTRATIONS Figures Figure 1: The Person as Lover Model ......................................................................................... 143 Figure 2: Liturgical Seasons of the Church ................................................................................. 198 Figure 3: Overview of Ministry Model ....................................................................................... 250 Figure 4: The Story Summary Verses ......................................................................................... 263 Figure 5: Semi-Structured Interview Questions .......................................................................... 268 Figure 6: Table of Responses to Likert Scale Questions ............................................................. 271 Figure 7: Graph of Responses to Likert Scale Question 6 .......................................................... 272 Figure 8: Graph of Responses to Likert Scale Question 7 .......................................................... 272 Figure 9: Graph of Responses to Likert Scale Question 8 .......................................................... 273 Figure 10: Graph of Responses to Likert Scale Question 10 ...................................................... 274 Figure 11: Graph of the Number of Question and Answers Recited from Memory ................... 275 ix The Image of the Invisible by Thrice1 We're more than carbon and chemicals. Free will is ours and we can't let go. We can't allow this, the quiet cull. So we sing out this, our canticle: we are the image of the invisible. We all were lost now we are found No one can stop us or slow us down We are all named and we are all known We know that we'll never walk alone We're more than static and dial tone. We're emblematic of the unknown. Raise up the banner, bend back your bows. Remove the cancer, take back your souls: we are the image of the invisible. Though all the world may hate us, we are named. Though shadow overtake us, we are known. We’re more than carbon and chemicals. Freewill is ours and we can’t let go. We are the image of the invisible. 1 AZ Lyrics, Image of the Invisible (London: Island Records, 2005), https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/thrice/imageoftheinvisible.html. x