Amy Rush
Introduction
From the world’s perspective, “Christian education” is many things — none of them positive, if it is even considered genuine “education” at all! Genuine education, according to worldly criteria, resembles essentially the opposite of what Christian educators present to their students on a daily basis, especially in primary areas of religious and philosophical thought, such as why are we here? what is the purpose of life? what are right and wrong? and such like that. This paper identifies three major philosophical paradigms undergirded worldly, or secular, education today, three areas “lacking” in Christian education: secularism (in general), relativism, and modern pragmatism. “Lacking” is used in an ironical sense, as the world would certainly deem Christian “education” as lacking these important areas … yet Christian education, conversely, replaces these with infinitely superior ideas and values, as shall be discussed below.
Lack of Secularism
Secularism, which in reality is atheistic, promotes the idea “the needs of man” are what are most important. When man’s needs are made the chief concern in life, then science and technology are looked to as the source of what will save us from stagnation. Since secularism claims there is no “sin” to be saved from, man focuses on saving himself, given enough education, time, and the elimination of transcendental notions (like Biblical morality). Secularism looks at the existence of man as an accident with no great purpose beyond survival, though making the world a better place is often substituted, since most people don’t like to take the “logic” of secularism to its extreme yet necessary conclusions. Since the human race looks to itself for all of the answers, it exhibits beliefs such as majority rules, whoever is most loudly offended is right, and truth is subordinate to political power and/or popular opinion.
Since secular schools are established and run by the government in a society that embraces, and even promotes secularism, it is not surprising these schools reflect the same philosophy. Faust (2005) wrote, “Secularism does not accept many things as absolutes. Its principal objectives are pleasure and self-interest. Often, those who embrace secularism have a different look about them.” Teaching evolution as truth, working hard to eliminate Biblical/Christian elements and influences from education, and making decisions based on the desire to “not offend” are all evidences of the embrace of secularism in schools.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Christian education. Christian schools should not only “lack” secularism, but also it should work hard to combat it as each student and faculty member struggles against it, battling to put off the old self and put on the new, since they were “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:22-24) Unlike the man-centered focus of secularism, Christian education is completely God-centered. Pazmino (2008) states, “Education at its best must be God-centered, seeing God as the source. Educators are called to integrate all areas of knowledge with God’s revelation” (p. 33). Rather than seeking to gain happiness and doing whatever it takes to accomplish it, Christian education is about teaching students that glorifying God and living in obedience to and in relationship with Him are where true happiness and right living are found. C.S. Lewis (1952/1996) wrote:
God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself because it is not there. There is no such thing (p. 54).
What does this look like in Christian education? It should be much more than having Bible class or chapel. Everything is to be taught in the framework of the Bible, the character of God, and the gospel. Pazmino (2008) describes it like this, “…Christian education involves the effort to share biblical content, to grapple with its implications for life, and to suggest avenues for appropriate response” (p. 24). Christian education replaces secularism with a God-centered focus for not only education as an enterprise but for the very existence of the students (and teachers) as people. This significant difference is, as with the other areas evaluated later in this paper, not a “lack” at all, but a life-affirming, reality-conforming superior mode of education and philosophical attitude.
Lack of Relativism
Although our society increasingly embraces relativism, it should be missing in Christian education. Relativism is the belief there is no absolute truth, no one “right” way to be a human (other than not hurting or offending people). With this philosophy comes the idea people should unapologetically be themselves; it insists we have no right to impose our views on others and declares truth is determined by society at the time, based on its evolutionary progress. In Wisdom and Eloquence, Littlejohn and Evans describe the current state of modern, secular education like this:
Modern education has replaced faith as a foundational element of certainty with skepticism. It seems ironic, but the result of rationalism or anti-supernaturalism in education is a great deal of uncertainty about what is real. Students in most schools these days are taught a confusing epistemology in which certainty, especially regarding anything outside of the sciences, is looked upon as a sign of intellectual arrogance. Knowing and depending upon a cultural tradition equates with intellectual laziness (p. 25).
This presumed “arrogance” encourages students to view traditional sources of knowledge and authority with such skepticism, promoting their own ill-educated, un-experienced views and opinions on how life should be as equally valid if not superior to those with whom the students may disagree (especially if religious in origin or nature).
Why do so many young adults believe truth is relative, that “anything goes” so long as you are happy, and correction/accountability is considered almost criminal behavior? Many of them were taught by parents and schools that embrace and promote such ways of thinking, and now their children will be taught the same, as long as it is present in our education system. Discussing how relativism became dominant in public schools, Duke Pesta (2011) wrote:
It starts at the top, in the journal articles and published books that secure tenure and impose the ideological dictates determining the construction of curricula, the pedagogy taught in graduate programs, and the way we train teachers from kindergarten through high school and beyond. At the highest levels of academia, the tenured professoriate — and the professors, deans, provosts, chancellors, and university presidents who almost always arise from the privileged ranks of this tenured class — there exists a dangerously monolithic echo chamber, where relativistic, post-modern ideas about the world, culture, and truth have become calcified.
Ironically, relativism has become the accepted standard of intellectual conformity, especially in the post-secondary educational arena.
Christian education, however, must lack relativism. Christ as the center of Christian education results in the belief absolute truth exists. Jesus Christ Himself declared He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) He called the Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth (John 16:12) and the Bible frequently instructs on the importance of doing what is right and speaking truth (e.g., Psalm 15:2). Christian schools should operate according to the truth of God’s Word, and work to be consistent as they do. God’s Word does not change: what is true and right and appropriate for human conduct and belief do not change simply because of adaptations in dress, transportation, technology, and leisure habits. Discipleship with accountability among and between teachers and students can be effective in promoting Christ-like living and the understanding of the truths of Scripture. Pazmino (2008) wrote,
Christian education is the deliberate, systematic, and sustained divine and human effort to share or appropriate the knowledge, values, attitudes, skills, sensitives, and behaviors that comprise or are consistent with the Christian faith. It fosters the change, renewal, and reformation of persons, groups, and structures by the power of the Holy Spirit to conform to the revealed will of God as expressed in the Scriptures and preeminently in the person of Jesus Christ, as well as any outcomes of that effort (p. 91).
Truth-seeking and truth-living, not relativism, are what Christian schools are about. Unashamedly, Christian education promotes conformity, not to one’s personal desires or cravings, but to the character of Christ Himself. Such is the only way to live correctly, to view reality accurately, and love other people properly … and the only way to be truly educated.
Lack of Modern Pragmatism
The third thing “lacking” in Christian education is modern pragmatism. This belief declares the purpose of education is the “here and now,” the acquisition of knowledge and skills for the work force and the benefit of the global economy. It also supports the free model of education where students select what to learn along with an element of the focus being on students having fun for the learning to be considered worthwhile. For example, schools should never bother teaching “dead” languages such as Latin – instead, only languages that will help them achieve international business or political success, such as Mandarin or Arabic, should be pursued. Under this penumbra, the classical Liberal Arts are subservient to the Sciences … not for the sake of learning sciences primarily but for their economic/national competitive value.
Although gaining the knowledge and skills needed for a job are important, they are not the highest or sole purposes of obtaining an education. Christian education says there is much more to an education. Jacques Maritain in Education at the Crossroads (1943) wrote, “…the education of man, in order to be completely well grounded, must be based upon the Christian idea of man….” (p. 6). Since the purpose of education is to better know God, His creation, and our own selves, which will lead us to better enjoy God and glorify Him, we can’t offer a genuine education focused solely on temporal worldly skills and measures of success. Another view of the purpose Littlejohn and Evans (2006) describe states, “So, the purpose of Christian education is always twofold. We want our students to grow spiritually, intellectually, and socially, and we want them to foster similar growth in society” (p. 18). Christian education indeed values skills and life-relevance. Yet, it does not solely aim for them. In aiming for eternal values and ideas, Christian education garners in the “useful” educational achievements of life as well, while contextualizing those achievements, skills, and learning far better than a secular, pragmatic education can do, especially in that a Christian education is grounded in how reality is, why man exists, and what the purpose for his rational/emotional/kinesthetic skills are for as well.
Conclusion
Whereas secular education is focused on generating a productive workforce and a like-minded generation (like-minded with the secularistic, relativistic, and pragmatic views of the moment), Christian education is focused what Jesus did in his earthly ministry. Jesus went about doing his Father’s will and taught people how to be in a right relationship with God and each other. He also was an excellent example of how to impact the world so more would come to a saving knowledge of him.
Christian education, properly considered, always includes the goal that students will use their schooling to impact the world around them. Not only do we expect our graduates to exercise discernment over their own lives and lifestyles, but we also expect them to be able to persuasively articulate a better way of life to those around them” (Littlejohn & Evans, 2006, p. 18).
Christian education, then does not truly lack the underlying principles aimed at by secularism, relativism, and pragmatism. Christian education does address how to live in the here and now, how to solve man’s problems, how to live in relationship with other nations and belief systems. Christian education does believe the needs and skills of this life are important and must be resolved and are fit subject matter for educational experiences … but beyond the here and now only, Christian education transcends students back to God and His Word and His purposes, providing for students a glimpse of the realities and truths to which our present educational and life experiences are preparatory. While “lacking” the narrow focus on this world only, Christian education supplements that “lack” with an education far more rich, far more fulfilling, and far more accurate than secularism, relativism, and pragmatism can ever hope to achieve.
Bibliography
Faust, J. E. (2005). “The Light in their Eyes.” Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/10/the-light-in-their-eyes?lang=eng.
Lewis, C. S. (1996). Mere Christianity. New York, NY: Simon and Shuster. (Original work published 1952).
Littlejohn, R. & Evans, C.T. (2006). Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Maritain, J. (1943). Education at the Crossroads. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Pazmino, R. W. (2008). Foundational Issues in Christian Education: An Introduction in Evangelical Perspective (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
Pesta, D. (2011). “Moral Relativism and the Crisis in Contemporary Education.” Retrieved from: http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/372-moral-relativism-and-the-crisis-of-contemporary-education
Redeeming Pandora 