“Because of how intrinsically relational we are, the pathways to change are also relational.” – Liz Hall
Recently, Liz and Todd Hall of Biola University’s Rosemead School of Psychology were featured on the Yale Center for Faith and Culture’s “For the Life of the World” podcast. Their conversation, “How and Why We Grow: Relational Spirituality and Practicing Unto Virtue,” was spurred on by the Martin Institute’s 2026 Spiritual Formation Workshop, “Practice Unto Virtue,” which asked how Christian practices like prayer, fasting, and service form Christlike virtue.
In the conversation Liz and Todd, coauthors of Relational Spirituality (2023 Dallas Willard Book Award Winner), articulate a relational account of human transformation. Their response to the workshop’s question is direct: the goal of formation is relational intimacy with God. The practices and virtues matter because they grow out of that union, support it, and make more room for it.
Michael Di Fuccia, on behalf of the Editorial Team