Thoughtful, authentic, Information Literacy Instruction (ILI) ought not to be seen as an ancillary activity for the student of theology. It is directly related to the core concerns of the academic endeavor: formation of mind, practices, and person. While ILI is certainly not less than preparing students for a successful career in higher education and professional life, students are underserved when it is reduced to a means (semi-remedial preparation for academic work proper) and not seen as an end (the formation of curious, capable lifelong learners).
Although broad themes emerge, spiritual formation is never generic. In this study, spiritual formation will indicate engaging in certain practices, cultivating certain habits, and even developing certain virtues to align with the continuing, transforming work of the Holy Spirit in restoring the self into the full image of God in the context of Christian community. ILI can easily and quite naturally embrace such spiritually formative dimensions as discerning helpful conversation partners, developing habits of honest engagement, and cultivating deep attention. Not only can this integration contribute to student learning in significant ways, it can move the conversation about ILI from the periphery of curricular considerations into being a life-giving, necessary part of a theological education.
