[[Spiritual Formation]] / Christian Formation > [!note] New - 2026-03-26 ![[assets/covers/christian-formation.jpg]] Christian formation is the spiritual development and discipleship of believers in Christ, grounded in the conviction that the gospel itself is not a cultural artefact but the person of Jesus Christ and the relational belonging he offers. Formation happens as believers learn to embody this identity in the concrete circumstances of their lives, particularly when faith requires crossing cultural or social boundaries. ## The Gospel as Core, Not Wrapper The most fundamental aspect of Christian formation is distinguishing the gospel from the cultural frameworks in which it is expressed. The impulse to defend one’s own cultural and Christian tradition can obscure the essential truth that the gospel is not Western or Eastern, not modern or traditional, but Jesus Christ himself and the belonging he offers.[^jabbour-crescent-p99] This discernment matters acutely in cross-cultural contexts, where converts must learn to identify what is core to Christian faith and what is merely cultural wrappings. Formation in this sense means training the spiritual sight to see through institutional and cultural layers to the person of Christ at the centre. ## The Cost and Independence of Discipleship Christian formation also involves understanding that becoming a disciple of Christ carries a real cost, particularly for those converting from other faith traditions. New believers should not develop a dependent relationship with their new Christian community, but rather learn to trust God directly for their needs and spiritual growth.[^jabbour-crescent-p203] This emphasis on independence within discipleship reflects a mature understanding of formation: the goal is not to create culturally assimilated Christians or institutionally dependent believers, but mature followers of Christ who have internalised the faith as their own and sustain it through their own spiritual practices and trust in God. > [!example]- Changelog > - **2026-03-26** Create from *The Crescent through the Eyes of the Cross*: New page covering The spiritual development and discipleship of believers in Christ. ## Selected passages > ‘==Muslims who become Christians need to pay the cost of following Christ and should not develop dependency on us, the Christians. God will provide for their needs. — a French Christian==’ > > *The Crescent through the Eyes of the Cross*, p. 203 > ‘I was tempted to defend, but then ==I reminded myself that the gospel is not our Western or our Christian wrappings, but the gospel is Jesus Christ and the place of belongingness that he offers.==’ > > *The Crescent through the Eyes of the Cross*, p. 99 ## Appearances - *The Crescent through the Eyes of the Cross*, Jabbour, Nabeel T. - Chapter 7 The Core and the Wrappings, p. 99 - Chapter 15 Relational Evangelism, p. 203 ## Related [[Gospel Proclamation]] . [[Spiritual Discipline]] . [[Conversion and Social Displacement]] . [[Cultural Context in Gospel Communication]] . [[Incarnational Piety]] [^jabbour-crescent-p99]: [[The Crescent through the Eyes of the Cross]], p. 99 . ‘I was tempted to defend, but then I reminded myself that the gospel is not our Western or our Christian wrappings, but the gospel is Jesus Christ and the place of belongingness that he offers.’ [^jabbour-crescent-p203]: Ibid., p. 203 . ‘Muslims who become Christians need to pay the cost of following Christ and should not develop dependency on us, the Christians. God will provide for their needs. — a French Christian’