Implications Of Christian Education In Theology And Science -- By: Woodrow Goodman

Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 04:4 (Dec 1961)
Article: Implications Of Christian Education In Theology And Science
Author: Woodrow Goodman


Implications Of Christian
Education In Theology And Science

Woodrow Goodman

Paper presented at Fourth Biennial Joint Meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation and the Evangelical Theological Society, Goshen, Indiana, June 14-16, 1961.

We are concerned today With the system of education commonly called Christian Education as distinguished from other education commonly called secular education. The very word secular in its first meaning is “of or pertaining to this world or the present life”.1 Hence its usage is sometimes applied as “not concerned with religion”2and is used in contrast to that which is religious or spiritual. The use of the term Christian Education refers primarily to the philosophy of education in the teacher-pupil relationship. The form of that expression in school organization is secondary.

The first premise in any educational system rests upon an assumption or a set of assumptions. These statements of truth accepted without proof shape the conclusions that the system produces. Our common body of knowledge, therefore, is dependent upon the common denominator of accepted fundamental truths and the rules of inference that are applied to these truths. Whenever a person or a group changes its accepted first premise or body of assumptions or changes the rules of inference the conclusions will be affected.

Immediately it is perceived that the first premise of secular education limits itself to matters pertaining to human observations in our physical world, social development, and such like. To this mass of observable and experimental matter, human reasoning is applied and the result is a body of knowledge that is a mixture of theory and facts, truth and error, constantly subject to revision and possessing differing degrees of acceptability.

In this world of expanding knowledge religion with its concerns for a life hereafter, a holy God, and similar subjects is brushed aside by science as irrelevant. A religious person engaged in a secular study becomes a dicotomy with a soul concerned with the supernatural which phenomena the intellect thrusts aside as though it did not exist.

Christian education on the other hand has its first implication of difference from secularism in the fact that it holds some axioms or first truths that secularism either ignores or denies. These first truths of knowledge have a relevancy to all branches of learning in Christian Education. Science confronts a Force other than of this world and must relate its findings to that Force. Philosophy has a confrontation with Revelation that drastically affects its viewpoint concerning the meani...

You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
Click here to subscribe
visitor : : uid: ()