Del Castillo & Sarmiento (2022) examined the literature regarding spiritual modeling in the context of religious education. Grounding the premise that virtue is caught, not taught in Bandura’s social learning theory, the article links the impacts of environmental influences to human spiritual formation. When considering the field of the spiritual formation of children, examining the various realms which shape us as human beings (the social, the cognitive, the psychological, the physical) provides opportunities for investigating their impact on children’s spiritual growth. The research reviewed by Del Castillo & Sarmiento suggests children observe, internalize, and emulate what they admire in others, and this imprinting phenomenon implies that those who hope to influence children’s faith formation should develop habits that, when modeled, help shape children’s spirituality.

Summary

Del Castillo and Sarmiento (2022) discuss the potential impact of spiritual modeling on the spiritual formation of children. When younger people observe the habits of older people, also known as spiritual exemplars, their conscious attention to the models’ attributes may positively impact their religious growth. The authors note three factors that influence the effectiveness of spiritual modeling: the characteristics of the model (when the model is perceived to be similar to the observer); personal attributes of the observer (particularly his level of self-esteem); and whether the observer perceives the model to be a virtuous person. Rooted in Bandura’s social learning theory, the impact of spiritual modeling is noted in four aspects of the observer: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. Religious education and spiritual modeling work in tandem to shape the faith practices of young people especially.

The study was approached from the perspective of the Filipino Catholic Church and her schools. A systematic review of the literature was conducted by searching “electronic databases such as Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, ProQuest, Scopus, and other journal aggregates” (Del Castillo & Sarmiento, 2022, p. 8). Findings from the searches were sifted into the following four categories: spiritual modeling and character formation, modeling in social cognitive theory, aspects of spiritual modeling, and spiritual modeling scales. Del Castillo & Sarmiento then presented the possibilities and the concerns for utilizing spiritual modeling in Filipino religious education centers. The article’s conclusion promotes the positive potential for influencing Filipino children and their religious models.

Critical Analysis

This article is important for understanding the spiritual formation of children as the researchers suggest that religious knowledge and spiritual practices are caught, not taught. Namely, young people watch and emulate the habits of exemplars, and through observing virtuous behavior, are more likely to adopt healthy spiritual practices which may strengthen their
faith. That children learn the habits of those within their environments seems obvious. What mother has not blushed to hear her child curse, to utter a savory word that was likely learned at home? Therefore, the premise of the article – whether religious education and spiritual modeling can positively impact children – seems obvious.

The broader implication of the findings, however, speak directly to the mission of the church and religious schools. First, head knowledge alone will not produce a faithful child; as Mimi Larson explains, “I am more than my brain” (personal communication, May 10, 2022) and that “more” includes one’s spiritual health. Second, children imitate the habits of those they esteem; as reported by Deprez (2017), children who grew up near faith-filled grandparents were more likely to develop their own faith. Third, those who teach children ought to be spiritual exemplars; this reality should impact teacher training, school hiring decisions, and Sunday school volunteer assignments. Due to their tremendous influence, those who work with children should be of the highest moral character.

While Del Castillo and Sarmiento (2022) focus on the Filipino Catholic Church and her schools, their findings suggest broad applicability to Sunday schools, religious schools, and faith-based organizations. Their research reviews literature that includes social science theories,and their article is written in accessible language; any adult who is concerned for the spiritual welfare of children could benefit from reading this article. The report itself is a narrowly focused literature review, and as the authors indicate, more research into actual accounts of the impacts of exemplars is warranted. For example, a study of primary teachers’ influence on their students’ spirituality would be impactful in the field of children’s faith formation.

Conclusion

Teaching can be rewarding, but it can also be frustrating. There are times when teachers feel their continuous corrections and repeated reminders are wholly ineffectual. Children may seem not to hear and not to care as they persist in their misbehaviors. This literature review encourages those who work in religious education settings that their students do hear, and they do care. The implication derived from Del Castillo & Sarmiento’s (2022) research is that spiritual modeling impacts the child over time – that he will first observe, then internalize, and finally demonstrate godliness – and the efforts made by spiritual exemplars to shape the faith practices of children may be of mutual, lasting benefit.