Journal: Journal of Ministry and Theology
Volume: JMAT 26:2 (Fall 2022)
Article: A Christian Appropriation Of Montessori’s Holistic Vision Of Education
Author: Allie August

JMAT 26:2 (Fall 2022) p. 3

A Christian Appropriation Of Montessori’s Holistic Vision Of Education

Allie August1

Abstract: The Montessori Method is a widely recognized educational approach for young children around the world. There have been, however, few attempts to appropriate this comprehensive system of children’s education into a Christian’s educational philosophy. By surveying Montessori’s holistic vision of education, this article attempts to use the Inverse Consistency Protocol to examine which aspects of this method can be adopted by the Christian educator. It is proposed that several principles may be appropriated into a Christian philosophy of education.

Keywords: Montessori, Holistic, Education, Christian, Appropriation

*****

Introduction

Many words describe the Montessori approach to education: child-centered, self-directed, active-independent learning. When people think of Montessori, some envision aesthetically pleasing classrooms with natural-made toys, sensorial learning materials, and child-sized furniture, while others think of phrases such as maximum effort, practical life, and the absorbent mind. Although these concepts describe aspects of Montessori’s approach, the core of her method was her holistic vision of education. This vision

JMAT 26:2 (Fall 2022) p. 4

ultimately undergirds all of Montessori’s principles and practices. By surveying Montessori’s holistic vision of education, this article aims to appropriate this vision into a Christian philosophy of education by using the Inverse Consistency Protocol.2

The Inverse Consistency Protocol is a hermeneutical framework developed by John David Trentham, Associate Professor of Leadership and Discipleship at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The framework assists Christians as they responsibly engage and interpret the social sciences with biblical discernment. The purpose of using the Inverse Consistency Protocol is to faithfully and constructively appropriate social scientific and human development models. The goal of this article is to employ the Inverse Consistency Protocol to evaluate Maria Montessori’s method of education, namely her view of the child, the role of the teacher, and the prepared environment, to theologically discern what Christians can and cannot appropriate into a philosophy of education.

To accomplish this goal, this article first considers the background of Maria Montessori with a primary focus on her seminal work, The Montessori Method.3 Subsequently, by using ...