Book Reviews -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 36:2 (Jun 1993)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous


Book Reviews

The Catholic School: Its Roots, Identity, and Future. By Harold A. Buetow. New York: Crossroad, 1989, 422 pp., $24.50. Schooling Choices: An Examination of Private, Public, and Home Education. Edited by H. Wayne House. Portland: Multnomah, 1988, 260 pp., $8.95 paper.

The role of schooling in the education of evangelical young people is a topic beset with confusion. The existence of government schools and private religious and secular schools and the current proliferation of home schoolers have only contributed to a confused state of affairs. Evangelicals are often bewildered about the subject of education and the educational choices they are forced to make. There is need for guidance in this area within the evangelical community. Such guidance is available in the Catholic tradition, and Buetow’s work is a marvelous contribution from which Protestants can glean immense insight. The volume edited by House contains a series of articles and responses evaluating the various educational options available to parents from an evangelical perspective. It is an attempt to provide needed guidance for the evangelical community.

Buetow’s work traces the history of Catholic education and provides a rationale for the continuing existence of Catholic schools based on their essential role in the formation of Catholic youth. He does a comprehensive job in tracing the influence of various philosophical schools of thought, both directly and indirectly, on Catholic education. This, combined with his meticulous attention to essential and descriptive definitions, contributes to the lucidity of the book. He surveys the reason for Catholic schools, the role of religion and values, the role of the family and Church, the pros and cons of state aid, the educational atmosphere, the role and place of teachers, and the role of students, both Catholic and non-Catholic. He also proposes an agenda for the future course of Catholic education.

It is obvious that Buetow has left no stone unturned. He does not shrink back from critics but responds directly to their objections. He is not afraid to recognize the influence of non-Catholic educators and willingly makes note of their contribution to Catholic educational thought. His book is essential reading for all who are interested in educational philosophy in general or Catholic educational philosophy in particular as well as in its impact on their understanding of the process of education.

The comprehensiveness and cohesiveness that characterizes Buetow’s work is essentially missing in the volume edited by House. The publisher states that “Schooling Choices draws no final conclusions. Our goal is to simply provide you with helpful information and to challenge you to carefully weigh alter...

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