Emotional Intelligence: A Missing Category in Discipleship Training and Spiritual Formation?

Abstract

This paper argues that the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) has been underrecognized in church discipleship and spiritual formation programs, and that the development of emotional intelligence needs to be more fully incorporated in such programs in both church and seminary settings. The timeliness and need for additional study of EI is shown; current literature on discipleship and spiritual formation is surveyed; reasons for the relative neglect of EI in theological training and spiritual formation are identified; a biblical rationale for recovering EI as an essential element for discipleship and spiritual formation is presented, with Phil 4:4-9 examined as a biblical case study.