Engaging Discipleship, Theosis, and Tableship through Faith and Learning Integration at a Christian High School

Authors

Denice F. Knight-Slater, Abilene Christian UniversityFollow

Abstract

This article summarizes A Teacher-Development Curriculum: Encouraging Community Discipleship through Faith and Learning Integration at Bracken Christian High School, reflecting on discipleship, imago Dei, missio Dei, theosis, Christosis, and tableship (koinōnia). Using Parker Palmer’s book, The Courage to Teach, the project team developed a Christocentric teacher-development curriculum to strengthen teacher-to-teacher relationships through monthly conversations around shared readings. The study presents faith and learning integration as a Spirit-led practice and frames spiritual formation as communal rather than individual. The metaphor of tableship functions as a fuller expression of biblical koinōnia, emphasizing embodied hospitality and communal witness. The project models how Christian educators can cultivate hospitality, biblical literacy, and intergenerational faith sharing to create classrooms where academic rigor and spiritual devotion converge. It concludes that discipleship is communal, participatory, and unfinished, sustained by the Spirit.

Author Bio

Dr. Denice “Den” Knight-Slater has been a Christian educator for fifteen years, teaching dual-credit courses through Colorado Christian University, St. Philip’s College, and Houston Christian University. She graduated from the University of Alaska with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Anthropology. Following employment with the USDA and the University of Arizona, she paused her science career to complete a Master of Arts in Literary Criticism. She then earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies at Austin Graduate School of Theology (2020, now Lipscomb University), then her Doctor of Ministry from Abilene Christian University in 2024. Den founded Aryeh Christian Hermitage, a faith-based nonprofit, where she continues to guide its mission and vision. She now serves as the Pastor of Belonging at Sunset Ridge Church and resides near San Antonio, Texas, with her husband Todd and their son Colton.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Knight-Slater, Denice F. (2025) "Engaging Discipleship, Theosis, and Tableship through Faith and Learning Integration at a Christian High School," Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry: Vol. 11: Iss. 2, Article 1.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/discernment/vol11/iss2/1