Mario Bravo-Lamas, June 10, 2025
Summary
In recent decades, theologians such as Miroslav Volf, Jonathan Pennington, and Joshua Jipp have rediscovered human flourishing as a full life that arises from communion with God in Christ through the Spirit. This flourishing, understood as holistic well-being or eudaimonia (from the Greek eu-daimōnía, “good spirit”), encompasses all dimensions — ethical, emotional, relational, intellectual, and spiritual — and is lived with wisdom and purpose. In the Christian tradition, it is not just about virtues or healthy habits, but the fruit of a spiritual formation that transforms the person from within. Genesis 1:27 teaches that we were created in the image and likeness of God, and the New Testament reveals that Jesus is the perfect image of God and that, through the Holy Spirit, that image is progressively restored in us (John 1:18; 14:9; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:15, 3:10; Hebrews 1:3).
This process of transformation encompasses believing, loving, and acting, leading to embodying the character of Jesus in daily life: it is not just about acquiring knowledge or external behaviors but about being shaped in Christ to live with wisdom, love, truth, and virtue. Therefore, from a Christian perspective, true flourishing occurs when the image of God in us is restored in the form of Christ. From this comes the name “Christoform” — which joins “Christ” and “form” — to express this path of spiritual formation that accompanies individuals and communities toward a full and meaningful life, where love, justice, and truth are embodied in their highest form: the form of Christ.
Introduction
In recent decades, the concept of “human flourishing” has gained relevance both in academic and pastoral discourse, especially in dialogue with Christian theology. In contrast to reductionist views of human well-being — whether materialistic, therapeutic, or individualistic — various theologians have proposed a more holistic, relational, and theocentric understanding of flourishing. This essay explores how this concept can dialogue with the “Christoform” Christian formation proposal, understood as an integral spiritual process of transformation into the image of Christ, which integrates faith, love, and action, rooted in the Trinity and unfolding in personal, communal, and public life.
1. Human flourishing according to contemporary Christian theology
Within contemporary Christian theology, various authors have sought to recover an integral vision of human flourishing from a biblical and Trinitarian perspective, in contrast to views centered on self-satisfaction, efficiency, or emotional health as ultimate ends. Among them stand out Miroslav Volf, Jonathan Pennington, Joshua Jipp, Tyler VanderWeele, and Natalya Cherry, who agree that a truly full life can only be understood in relationship with God, in light of biblical revelation, and from a relational anthropology.
Miroslav Volf, in Flourishing, argues that the good life is one that “goes well” (i.e., unfolds in favorable external circumstances), “is lived well” (shaped by appropriate virtues and practices), and “feels good” (possesses a positive subjective dimension), but warns that this ideal is fully realized only in communion with God. Human flourishing, therefore, is not an autonomous achievement, but the fruit of divine-human relationship, and in community. Volf links this concept with biblical images of fullness — the tree planted by streams of water (Ps. 1:3), the sheep in green pastures (Ps. 23:2) — fullness signaled both at the beginning and the end of the biblical narrative, in the Garden of Eden and the New Jerusalem. Volf summarizes his vision in a central affirmation: “true love for the true God bathes our world with the light of a transcendent glory and makes it a stage of joy.” Thus, flourishing is not simply self-actualization, but an existence transformed by divine love and oriented toward communion with Him and with others.
Jonathan Pennington, in turn, offers a theological reading of the Sermon on the Mount as a Christian proposal for eudaimonia or human flourishing. He argues that Jesus redefines Jewish and Greco-Roman wisdom literature in its search for the good life, articulating it from a vision of human flourishing as participation in the Kingdom life centered on God, in believing and living in Christ. Pennington maintains that “the Bible is about human flourishing,” and that this God-centered vision includes both grace and virtue, integrating salvation with discipleship. According to Pennington, Christian flourishing is thus partial in the present but will be complete in the eschatological consummation in Christ.
Jipp, in his Pauline reading, emphasizes that human flourishing is a way of life centered on participation in Christ, modeled by love and community. According to Jipp, human flourishing happens by “participating in the life of God through Christ and the gift of the Spirit; a life that involves dying to sin and the transformation of one’s moral capacity, through which humans increasingly resemble Christ and are thus capable of sharing in the eschatological resurrection life.” Jipp connects Pauline theology with human flourishing in an effort to contextualize the Christian life for our current times.
From an interdisciplinary perspective, Tyler VanderWeele, in A Theology of Health, develops a holistic understanding of human flourishing that encompasses physical, mental, relational, and spiritual dimensions. Supported by rigorous empirical research, he maintains that flourishing involves “achieving happiness, physical health, sense of purpose, virtue, close relationships, a good community, and spiritual life.” These dimensions, far from being isolated compartments, are deeply interrelated and must be cultivated in an integrated manner. VanderWeele emphasizes that this process does not depend on technological advances or cultural trends but finds its center in union with Christ, which enables conformity to God’s original intention for humanity. The ultimate and perfect flourishing, he affirms, is “communion with God, which is the final goal of the human person.” This communion, restored by Christ’s work, is not only essential for holistic well-being but possible only through Him. His approach offers a valuable foundation for articulating a pastoral and formative vision of flourishing that recognizes the complexity of the human person.
Finally, Natalya Cherry, in Believing Into Christ: Relational Faith and Human Flourishing, redefines human flourishing from a radically Christocentric and relational perspective. Cherry argues that human flourishing is not based on individual achievements, nor merely on holding doctrinal beliefs, but on a living relationship with Christ. She uses the biblical concept of “believing into” (pisteuein eis) to show that authentic faith is not just intellectual assent but an ongoing act of giving oneself and dwelling in Christ. This relational faith is a source of transformation and fullness and becomes the axis of human flourishing understood as participation in the life of the Son of God. For Cherry, flourishing is not based on personal success or emotional states, but on a living union with Christ expressed in an active, loving faith.
2. Christian spirituality as a path to flourishing
Together, these authors offer a coherent and deeply theological vision of human flourishing: not as autonomous achievement but as a full life in God, the fruit of communion with Him in Christ through the Spirit. This communion holistically transforms the human person, orienting them toward love, justice, truth, and hope. In this framework, flourishing is not a secular alternative to Christian spirituality but its natural consequence: the result of fully dwelling in Trinitarian life. This perspective therefore offers a solid foundation for rethinking Christian spirituality and formative processes from a relational, Christocentric, and Trinitarian key, as will be developed in the following sections.
Christian spiritual formation can only be understood as deeply relational, as a response to God’s love revealed in Christ, as a journey walked in communion with God and with others. It is not simply about individual devotional practices, but an integral transformation — personal, communal, and social — that shapes the believer’s character into the likeness of Christ through cultivating theological virtues such as faith, hope, and love. This formation develops in the context of church life, in the practice of spiritual disciplines, and in active commitment to justice and peace. From this perspective, human flourishing is not a self-sufficient goal or an individual achievement but the fruit of a life deeply rooted in communion with God and oriented toward the good of neighbor.
From a Christocentric perspective, Cherry offers a deeply meaningful vision of human flourishing as inseparable from the transforming relationship with the living Christ. She argues that it cannot be defined by subjective feelings of well-being or moral achievements, but takes place in growing communion with the risen Jesus. In her reading of the verb pisteuō, she emphasizes that “believing into” involves a continuous giving of oneself to Christ: a real spiritual dwelling that transforms every dimension of existence. This union is not a pious metaphor but a living reality expressed in active faith, in embodied love that flows from encounter with Christ, and in eschatological hope that orients all of life toward the fullness promised by God. This flourishing life manifests itself in following Jesus, in participating in his life, death, and resurrection, and in forming an existence that reflects his character.
Seen from a Trinitarian key, Christian spirituality is not an optional supplement to human development but its essence and path. Human flourishing is not an autonomous goal, nor can it be reduced to thriving or experiencing subjective well-being, but it is the fruit of a life oriented toward God. Thus, Christian spirituality is not an appendix to human flourishing but its essence and path, consisting of fully dwelling in communion with the Triune God. This communion transforms the human person from the depths, orienting them toward the good, truth, and love. Living a flourishing life means participating in God’s life: following Jesus, by the power of the Spirit, and within the community of the Kingdom. Thus understood, Christian spirituality is the process by which we are incorporated into Trinitarian life and shaped by it in a path of integral transformation.
3. Christoform: a spiritual formation toward flourishing in Christ
The dialogue between Christian spirituality and contemporary developments on human flourishing reveals a deep resonance. In times marked by fragmented searches for well-being, the theology of human flourishing, by recovering a biblical, holistic, and Trinitarian vision of the good life, provides a rich and challenging horizon for rethinking discipleship, spirituality, and Christian formation processes. This perspective, far from reducing itself to personal improvement or a psychological ideal, recovers a vision of the good life as communion with God and participation in His life.
Within this theological horizon is inserted the proposal of Christoform, a model of Christian spiritual formation that seeks to integrate the essential dimensions of faith: believing, loving, and acting. Inspired by voices like Irenaeus, Wesley, Vanhoozer, and Dallas Willard, this model proposes a Trinitarian, Christ-centered spirituality that transforms the believer in their cognitive (orthodoxy), affective (orthopathy), and practical (orthopraxy) dimensions. Spiritual formation, thus understood, cannot be reduced to external conformity to religious norms but is the internal and progressive participation in the life of the Son, through the Spirit, toward the Father.
The theology of human flourishing finds a deep echo in this model. The emphasis on relational faith that dwells in Christ as the axis of human flourishing resonates with the heart of Christoform: union with Christ. Authors like Pennington and Cherry insist that flourishing is not an end in itself but the consequence of a life in growing communion with God.
The theology of human flourishing finds a profound echo in this model. The emphasis on relational faith that dwells in Christ as the axis of human flourishing resonates with the heart of Christforma: union with Christ. Authors such as Pennington and Cherry insist that flourishing is not an end in itself but the consequence of a life in growing communion with God. In tune with this, Christforma affirms that spiritual formation is not merely doctrinal learning or religious practices, but becoming who one is called to be in Christ, through a living and constant union with Him. This relationship transforms the believer’s being, vision, and action, making Christian flourishing the very process of being conformed to the image of Christ.
Authors like Miroslav Volf and Tyler VanderWeele broaden the horizon of flourishing by incorporating dimensions such as justice, holistic health, community, and joy. These dimensions should not be seen as add-ons to spiritual life, but as concrete expressions of a life lived in union with God. Christforma, for its part, articulates these dimensions within a formative process that recognizes human complexity and orients all its areas toward Christ. Cherry’s proposal, by highlighting relational faith as the key to flourishing, reinforces this vision by offering an embodied, ecclesial, and missional spirituality that corrects both individualistic and moralistic views of spirituality. Christforma finds in this proposal a profound validation: it is not just about forming “better Christians,” but about participating in the Son and, in Him, becoming fully human. Understood in this way, flourishing is nothing other than the spiritual maturity of a life fully inhabited by God.
Therefore, from this perspective, Christian human flourishing is not a parallel project to spiritual formation, but its fullest fruit and deepest manifestation. To flourish is to become who one is called to be in Christ, in the living relationship that transforms understanding, desire, and action. Christforma offers a theological-pastoral framework that articulates these dimensions within a formative process centered on Christ, describing the path by which we are shaped by grace to participate in the Trinitarian life and embody divine love in every sphere of existence.
4. Pastoral Applications
The pastoral implications of this convergence between human flourishing and Christforma spiritual formation are many and urgent. In a context marked by anxiety, fragmentation, and the search for meaning, churches are called to offer not only doctrinal answers but paths to a full life in Christ. Some key applications include:
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Redefining discipleship: Christian formation should focus less on the accumulation of doctrinal knowledge and more on cultivating a relational faith involving a living and transformative union with Christ. This requires communities where spiritual life is not simply instructed but accompanied, shared, and lived—communities that accompany the spiritual life in its entirety, including the body, emotions, personal history, and vocation.
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Designing formative processes: Formation programs should integrate cognitive, affective, and practical dimensions, aiming at the integral flourishing of participants. Assessment should not focus only on the content learned but on the relational, emotional, and missional transformation of people.
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Embodied spirituality: Spirituality should be taught and practiced in a way that embraces rest, family, and work as spheres of God’s presence. The church must help discern and cultivate God’s presence in every area of daily life. Human flourishing is not experienced only in prayer or worship but also in emotional health, the restoration of relationships, and vocational practice.
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Holistic care: In light of VanderWeele, pastoral ministries should address physical, mental, social, and spiritual flourishing, integrating psychological support, community care, social justice, vocational discernment, and spaces for healing.
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Spiritual accompaniment: Spaces for spiritual direction and relational discipleship are needed, where God’s work in people’s lives can be discerned, where individuals can explore how they are inhabiting their relationship with Christ, how they are growing in relational faith, and how that manifests in their daily lives.
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Preaching and liturgy oriented toward flourishing: Preaching and liturgy should be means of formation and transformation, not merely information, oriented to shape the heart and desire toward God, not just instruct the mind. They should guide believers to dwell in Christ, live His Word, and participate in the mystery of His life.
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A missional vision of flourishing: The church can bear witness to the world that true human flourishing is not found in success, fame, or consumption but in communion with God and with others. This implies practices of hospitality, justice, reconciliation, and neighborly care that reflect the life of the Kingdom here and now.
Conclusion
Human flourishing from a Christian perspective cannot be understood without reference to God, Christ, and the Spirit. It is a good life because it is oriented toward the Supreme Good, and it is good for one’s neighbor because it springs from divine love. In this horizon, Christforma spiritual formation is not merely compatible with flourishing but constitutes it: it is the very process by which we are conformed to the image of the Son, to live—even in the midst of pain and struggle—a life worth living, a life full in God.