by Jeff Horner, MA, MLitt
History Department Chair
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The art of education is, at its root, theological. One of the most important reasons to educate a person is to give him or her the intellectual, philosophical, and social tools that enable him or her to apprehend how “wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” and to communicate that love to other people. Paul gives an indication of the lofty task of specifically Christian education: to expand the mind of an individual in order to properly demonstrate the immensity and greatness of God. Historically, education was the preserve of the privileged and bestowed upon those who showed promise and ability in certain defined fields. Additionally, the scope of education during the Middle Ages was limited to only the few major areas that were considered worth knowing: theology, law, and medicine. As time wore on, first the Renaissance and Scientific Revolutions, then Age of Discovery and the Industrial Revolution expanded outward the visible boundaries of knowledge available and provided new fields in which to discover the grandeur and glory of God. As societies leveled out and became more egalitarian in their comprehension of who deserved to be educated, men and women, wealthy and poor were included in the scope of education. By the early twenty-first century, in most industrialized countries, education is no longer the preserve of the privileged, but it is extended to all comers, and mandated by governments for the betterment of society.
However, education has also become a field of study itself and in many ways is used as a tool of social engineering. Therefore, specifically Christian education has become necessary in order to instill certain timeless principles regarding the earth and its Creator. As the general trend in society has become to either ignore or disdain the supernatural world, especially the traditional “things of God”, and churches are increasingly not preparing their congregations for interaction with viewpoints that are openly hostile to the faith once for all delivered to the saints, Christian education is becoming more fervently required to provide guidance and foundational knowledge for the average believer in Jesus Christ. In order for a student to appreciate and be awed by the greatness of God, he or she must have knowledge of his or her proper place in the universe as well as his or her function within that universe. This is not to mention the need for that student to be able to perceive and defend himself or herself against belief systems that revile his or her faith and would seek to bring him or her to do so as well. Thus, the aim of Christian education is tripartite: to produce students who are faithful followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ; to produce students who are honorable and capable of discerning and practicing right actions; and to produce students who are thoroughly trained and aware of their gifts in academic disciplines and how those disciplines should be harnessed to bring greater glory to God. Therefore, schools, particularly Christian schools, have a holy obligation to worship God through their efforts to build, encourage, and sustain students in these areas. Because of this, I believe Christian education must be theologically sound, committed to academic excellence, and dedicated to helping students and faculty live responsibly within their roles in the school community.
Ephesians 3:18, NIV
Jude 3
History Department Chair
The art of education is, at its root, theological. One of the most important reasons to educate a person is to give him or her the intellectual, philosophical, and social tools that enable him or her to apprehend how “wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” and to communicate that love to other people. Paul gives an indication of the lofty task of specifically Christian education: to expand the mind of an individual in order to properly demonstrate the immensity and greatness of God. Historically, education was the preserve of the privileged and bestowed upon those who showed promise and ability in certain defined fields. Additionally, the scope of education during the Middle Ages was limited to only the few major areas that were considered worth knowing: theology, law, and medicine. As time wore on, first the Renaissance and Scientific Revolutions, then Age of Discovery and the Industrial Revolution expanded outward the visible boundaries of knowledge available and provided new fields in which to discover the grandeur and glory of God. As societies leveled out and became more egalitarian in their comprehension of who deserved to be educated, men and women, wealthy and poor were included in the scope of education. By the early twenty-first century, in most industrialized countries, education is no longer the preserve of the privileged, but it is extended to all comers, and mandated by governments for the betterment of society.
However, education has also become a field of study itself and in many ways is used as a tool of social engineering. Therefore, specifically Christian education has become necessary in order to instill certain timeless principles regarding the earth and its Creator. As the general trend in society has become to either ignore or disdain the supernatural world, especially the traditional “things of God”, and churches are increasingly not preparing their congregations for interaction with viewpoints that are openly hostile to the faith once for all delivered to the saints, Christian education is becoming more fervently required to provide guidance and foundational knowledge for the average believer in Jesus Christ. In order for a student to appreciate and be awed by the greatness of God, he or she must have knowledge of his or her proper place in the universe as well as his or her function within that universe. This is not to mention the need for that student to be able to perceive and defend himself or herself against belief systems that revile his or her faith and would seek to bring him or her to do so as well. Thus, the aim of Christian education is tripartite: to produce students who are faithful followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ; to produce students who are honorable and capable of discerning and practicing right actions; and to produce students who are thoroughly trained and aware of their gifts in academic disciplines and how those disciplines should be harnessed to bring greater glory to God. Therefore, schools, particularly Christian schools, have a holy obligation to worship God through their efforts to build, encourage, and sustain students in these areas. Because of this, I believe Christian education must be theologically sound, committed to academic excellence, and dedicated to helping students and faculty live responsibly within their roles in the school community.
Ephesians 3:18, NIV
Jude 3