The Personality of Christian Religious Education Teachers in Imitating Christ’s Self-Humility Based on Philippians 2:5-7: A Study at SD Negeri No. 175756 Simarhompa

Abstract

This study investigates the personality of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers in imitating Christ’s self-humility based on Philippians 2:5-7 at SD Negeri No. 175756 Simarhompa, North Tapanuli. The research is grounded in the theological conviction that the kenotic model of Christ provides a normative framework for the formation of teacher personality in Christian education. A quantitative descriptive approach was employed, involving all Christian students at the school as respondents. Data were collected through a structured Likert-scale questionnaire measuring key dimensions of Christ-like humility, including servant-hearted attitude, respectful communication, relational warmth, emotional self-control, and openness to feedback. The instrument was validated through expert review and demonstrated acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.70). The findings indicate that the CRE teacher’s personality in reflecting Christ’s humility falls within the high category across all measured dimensions. Students particularly recognized the teacher’s patience, fairness, caring disposition, and willingness to serve learners. Statistical analysis also revealed relatively homogeneous student perceptions, suggesting that the teacher’s humility is consistently experienced across the classroom community. Nevertheless, minor areas for enhancement were identified, especially in strengthening dialogical openness and visible reflective practice. The study concludes that the kenotic paradigm of Philippians 2:5-7 is both theologically relevant and pedagogically effective in shaping CRE teacher personality. Embodied humility significantly contributes to positive classroom climate, student trust, and faith formation. The research recommends sustained professional formation programs that intentionally integrate spiritual formation with pedagogical competence in Indonesian Christian education contexts.