PER DEV | Adrian Van Kaam's Full Field Theory

Who proposed the Full Field Theory?

Fr. Adrian Van Kaam, C.S. SP

Fr. Adrian Van Kaam, C.S. SP

• Dutch Catholic priest in congregation of the Holy Spirit

• College professor & Existentialist Psychologist

• Exploration of the science of spirituality led to writing to series Formative Spirituality

• Founder of Institute of Formative Spirituality

What does the whole formation field represent?

Life in Total

What does the base/pitchers mound represent?

God who holds all things together

What do the four quadrants represent?

how one interacts and reacts to each area of one’s life and ways one gives & receives from what Van Kaam called “formability”.

Formation Field Theology

• nature of humanity and illustrates how deep the self & soul is hidden with Christ in God

• explains union of human constructs

• challenges notion that humans are divided into body and soul

• formation involves entire field

• emergent life form exists in daily surroundings

Divine Forming & Preforming Mystery

• center of field emphasizes limited human idea of god

• each of us is merely a human manifestation of the mystery by whom we have been created

• transhuman epiphany of the mystery represents highest disclosure of the mystery, self-communication of God to us

• Trinity is the center and calls humanity forth into existence

• Formation begins with being preformed in terms of natural ability and genetic make up

What does the Divine Forming & Preforming Mystery suggest?

From conception until end of our life, we are constantly being formed and forming world around us.

What did Van Kaam refer to this human potency (Divine Forming & Preforming Mystery) as?

Form donation and Form reception, which is ongoing and never static

Form Donation

to give

Form Reception

to receive

Intra Formation | Short Description

Interior Life, formation of thoughts, feelings, descriptions

Intra Formation | Long Description

• who we are, how we live, how we interact with the world

• complexity of formative relationship between oneself and god/mystery

• we are called uniquely and communally

Inter Formation | Short Description

Relational Life, relationships define and changes thoughts, feelings and decisions

Inter Formation | Long Description

• complexity of formative relationship between oneself, others, and god/mystery

• we are gifted for the sake of serving the people

Outer Immediate Situational Formation | Short Description

Here & Now Life, life’s context

Outer Immediate Situational Formation | Long Description

• life situations, everyday happenings, cultural backgrounds speaks into one’s formation

• complexity of formative relationship between oneself, one’s sociopolitical situation, and god/mystery

• we are chosen to live in a chain of life situation

Outer Mediated World | Short Description

Our, giving and receiving formation through a wider world

Outer Mediated World | Long Description

• complexity of relationships between oneself, entire world, and god/mystery

• we are sent to re-evangelize the present world