Faith as the Core of Personality Competence: A Reflection on Matthew 17:20 at UPTD SD Negeri 07 Beringin Jaya
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Abstract
Faith is widely recognized as a central element in Christian theology, yet its role as a foundational component of teacher personality competence in Christian Religious Education (CRE) has received limited systematic scholarly attention. This study aims to examine faith as the core of personality competence in CRE teachers through a reflection on Matthew 17:20 and a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of relevant educational and theological studies. The findings indicate a strong convergence between contemporary educational theories of personality competence and Christian theological perspectives on faith and character formation. Faith emerges not merely as a doctrinal belief but as a lived spiritual orientation that shapes teacher identity, emotional regulation, moral integrity, and professional commitment. The theological interpretation of Matthew 17:20, particularly the metaphor of faith as a mustard seed, highlights the qualitative power of faith as a source of spiritual resilience and transformative capacity in the professional lives of teachers. The synthesis further demonstrates that faith-informed personality competence contributes to the development of virtues such as patience, humility, perseverance, and ethical consistency, which are essential for effective teaching and character-based education. The study concludes that integrating faith into models of teacher personality competence offers a more holistic framework for teacher development, strengthening the spiritual, moral, and professional dimensions of Christian educators for the benefit of both teachers and students.
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