Why Compassion Cultivation Training Should Matter (a Lot) to Christians: 12 Reasons

 

Why Compassion Cultivation Training Should Matter (a Lot) to Christians: 12 Reasons

Richard K. Stephens

June 15, 2022

816 words (plus notes)

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The scientific claims made in several of the 12 seasons are backed up in the endnotes.

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1. It is now recognized by neuroscientists that compassion is a learnable skill
2. The purpose of Compassion cultivation training is neuroplastic. It is not meant to create temporary mental states but rather to “rewire” the brain so that it gains an enduring trait of compassion. According to neuroplasticity expert Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz, a Christian, the process involves action by the Holy Spirit.
3. The trait of compassion can be built up with proper practice, but it can also atrophy from lack of maintenance.
4. The reputation of Christianity suffers from widespread perceptions of hypocrisy and selfish un-Christlike salvation-centered religiosity. I know from personal experience that Elders, Deacons and even some Pastors of highly respected churches are unaware of the proper definition of compassion, unaware that compassion is crucial to being a Christian, and have not successfully cultivated compassion that has resulted in being “born again” through metanoia that invites the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
5. Absence of compassion is very common among “Believers.” “Believer” is a different status from “Follower.” There can indeed be Believer Followers, yet it is very common for there to be Believers who are not Followers. Followers are, by definition, people who are competent at obeying the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
6. Christian sociologist Josh Packard has demonstrated that there is an exodus from the Church of the most devoted Followers who are disgusted by the empty religiosity of churches. Dr. Packard has labelled these people the “Dones.” Churches must adopt Compassion Cultivation Practices to attract and retain these true followers.
7. “The ‘I’ll pray for you’ syndrome,” can be cured. The “Diving Butler” intercessional (or “Wishing Well”) superstitious “prayer” form that involves delivering a speech out-loud for the target person’s hearing, which serves to supplant Christlike compassionate engagement, can be replaced by a tested method of gaining competence in the compassion that Christ requires his followers to successfully cultivate. (The evidence: The “Lord, Lord” Warning; Twofold Commandment, separation of the Sheep and the Goats, Great Commission).
8. Many “believers” treat “Love your neighbor as yourself” wrongly as a call for niceness, not to be taken seriously by one who is “saved” and cannot ever lose that status. The Separation of the Sheep and the Goats tells a different story. So does The “Lord, Lord” Warning.
9. While a good number of secular versions of compassion cultivation training are on offer (most common is Stanford CCT), the only developed and refined version on offer and adopted by Christian organizations is that of the Center for Engaged Compassion at Claremont School of Theology. It was designed by seasoned former pastors who teach spiritual formation: Frank Rogers Jr. and Andrew Dreitcer.
10. The Great Commission requires the teaching of all that Jesus has commanded His disciples to obey. It follows that is useless to teach merely the text of the commands without engaging in the pedagogical process which develops the novice in the HOW of successfully obeying His commands. What command has priority? In Jesus’s own words, the Twofold Commandment is top priority in the collected commands. It is impossible to obey the second part of the Twofold Commandment consistently without having cultivating the enduring trait of compassion. This is specifically what the Center for Engaged Compassion’s Christian Compassion Cultivation Practice is designed to accomplish (with the aid of the Holy Spirit).
11. There is a vital “generational” appeal in the offering of teaching on how to both receive and give compassion. The generation that has been described by experts as asocial, lonely and narcissistic needs it desperately. Social health is a necessity for overall health and sanity.
12. Tim Keller has defined compassion in much the same way as have neuroscientists and psychologists specializing in Compassion Science. In his February 23, 2003 sermon, “Neighbors,” Keller outlined the 5-part compassion process of The Samaritan:
• Notice - “looked at him” - took deliberate notice.
• Examine - “contacted the man, touched the man, came to be where he was.” - this is close examination, (there could not be asking and active listening as would ordinarily be the case)
• Feel - “felt his misery” - this is empathy.
• Interpret, decide - “thought about the needs of the man” - interpretation, creative problem solving.
• Act - Treated the wound, put the man on his horse, took him to an inn, paid for his room and board - effective action.

The process of compassion as described by secular neuroscientists Jennifer L. Goetz and Emiliana Simon-Thomas in 2017:

• Awareness of an antecedent (i. e. suffering or need in another individual);
• Feeling “moved”; that is, having a subjective physical experience that often involves involuntary arousal of branches of the autonomic nervous system;
• Appraisal of one’s bodily feeling, social role, and abilities within the context of the suffering;
• Judgments about the person and the situational context;
• Engagement of the neural systems that drive social affiliation and caregiving, and motivate helping.

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NOTES

1) Jill Ladwig, “Brain can be trained in compassion, study shows,” W News (U Wisconsin-Madison), May 22, 2013. https://news.wisc.edu/brain-can-be-trained-in-compassion-study-shows/

2) a) Daniel Goleman & Richard J. Davidson, Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body, Avery, Sep. 5, 2017; p. 250 - Compassion meditation shows stronger benefits from the get-go; as few as seven total hours over the course of two weeks leads to increased connectivity in circuits important for empathy and positive feelings, strong enough to show up outside the meditation per se. This is the first sign of a state morphing into a trait, though these effects likely will not last without daily practice. p. 291 - We have shown the evidence that it is possible to cultivate these positive qualities in the depths of our being, and that any of us can begin this inner journey. Many of us may not be able to put forth the intense effort needed to walk the deep path. But the wider routes show that qualities like equanimity and compassion are learnable skills, ones we can teach our children and improve in ourselves.

b) “The Holy Spirit and Neuroplasticity - A Christian Research Scientist’s Explanation: Jeffrey M. Schwartz,” The Compassion Renaissance, Oct. 21, 2021. https://compassion-renaissance.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-holy-spirit-and-neuroplasticity.html

3) “Contrary to what many may believe, compassion is considered to be like a muscle that, as any other, can be strengthened with relevant exercises—or can deteriorate and atrophy.” [Hooria Jazaieri, “Six Habits of Highly Compassionate People; Follow these steps to feel more compassionate toward others and toward yourself.” April 24, 2018]   https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_habits_of_highly_compassionate_people

4) a) “Christians: More Like Jesus or Pharisees?” Barna Group, June 3, 2013.   https://www.barna.com/research/christians-more-like-jesus-or-pharisees/

b) Observations made by author over a period of years and in multiple churches.

5) See The Judgment of the Nations: Matthew 25:31-46.

6) The Dechurching of America, How Religion Drives People Away From Church, But Not From God https://dechurched.net/ ; Joshua Packard, “Meet the 'Dones' - Burned out on ministry and fed up with organized religion, these spiritual refugees present a challenge to the church,” Christianity Today, July 6, 2015.

7) “The Separation of the Sheep and the Goats” (Matthew 25:31-46); The “Lord, Lord” Warning (Matthew 7:21).

8) a) Stanford CCT (Compassion Cultivation Training), The Compassion Institute, Half Moon Bay, Ca. https://www.compassioninstitute.com/

b) Center for Engaged Compassion at Claremont School of Theology.   https://www.centerforengagedcompassion.com/ See books: Frank Rogers Jr., Compassion in Practice: The Way of Jesus, Aug. 1, 2016, Upper Room Books, 167 pages. https://www.amazon.com/Compassion-Practice-Frank-Rogers-Jr/dp/0835815668 Andrew Dreitcer, Living Compassion: Loving Like Jesus, Nov. 1, 2017, Upper Room Books, 161 pages. https://www.amazon.com/Living-Compassion-Loving-Like-Jesus/dp/0835817237

9) a) Trenton Thomas, “The ‘I’ll pray for you’ syndrome,” Trenton Thomas, (circa) Nov 26 2014. https://trentonsmusic.com/blogs/trenton-s-thoughts-articles-photography/posts/the-i-ll-pray-for-you-syndrome

b) Divine Butler: “In short, God is something like a combination Divine Butler and Cosmic Therapist” [Christian Smith, Melina Lundquist Denton, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, Oxford University Press, 2005.]

10) The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20); Twofold Commandment (Matthew 22:35-40)

11) Ryan Fan, “Narcissism Is A Survival Mechanism In An Age Of Anxiety; Is social media really a ‘vanity project’?” The Startup, Nov 9, 2019. https://medium.com/swlh/narcissism-is-survival-mechanism-in-an-age-of-anxiety-9e9c9d8a0d26

12) a) “Jesus’s Compassion Command: Excerpts from Timothy Keller,” The Compassion Renaissance, Dec. 8, 2021. https://compassion-renaissance.blogspot.com/2022/03/jesuss-compassion-command-excerpts-from.html 

b) “Here, we offer a working definition of compassion framed as a discrete and evolved emotional experience. From this vantage point, compassion is conceived as a state of concern for the suffering or unmet need of another, coupled with a desire to alleviate that suffering (Goetz et al., 2010). An experience of compassion defined this way involves several distinct components: 1) Awareness of an antecedent (i. e. suffering or need in another individual); 2) Feeling “moved”; that is, having a subjective physical experience that often involves involuntary arousal of branches of the autonomic nervous system; 3) Appraisal of one’s bodily feeling, social role, and abilities within the context of the suffering; 4) Judgments about the person and the situational context; and 5) Engagement of the neural systems that drive social affiliation and caregiving, and motivate helping.” [Jennifer L. Goetz and Emiliana Simon-Thomas, “The Landscape of Compassion: Definitions and Scientific Approaches,” in Elizabeth Seppala, Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science, Oxford UP, 2017, p. 3]

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