Rehabilitating Habituation

What role does habit formation play in Christian growth? Do we change from the outside-in (habit focus) or from the inside-out (heart focus)? In this article, Brian Mesimer revisits the debate on Jay Adams’s use of habit in counseling. Appealing to classical Christian conceptions of habit and virtue, Mesimer offers a constructive critique. He then affirms some of Adams’s engagement with behavioral psychology, while also shedding light on its blind spots. What emerges is a renewed vision for habit and heart formation in concert.