Formalism refers to a tendency in religious thought and practice to shift focus away from the abstract, the spiritual, the personal, or the ethical principles in a religion and toward the outward forms that embody that religion.
Formalism is found the world over in all religions.
It is also common in historical Christianity, but is roundly condemned in the Bible, both in Old and New Testaments. Formalism is an impersonal outlook which misses the point where the things of God are concerned. At Xenos, we have developed a thorough critique of formalism, which we believe lies at the root of many of the problems in contemporary Christianity. Formalism in Prayer is adapted from Senior Pastor, Dennis McCallum 's book, Walking in Victory . The Relation of the Church to the Old Testament is a training guide for a class on ecclesiology.