By: Bro. Rene Nepomuceno, MDiv., MCL

 

Section 1: Process of Christian Education

According to R. Pazminio, the main challenge that confronts Christian educators in our post modern world today is firstly, how to balance continuity of the evangelical theory and practice in the face of the changes brought about by the challenges of times. Throughout history, there have been many models of the educational process, which have been pursued in an attempt to address this perpetual issue. Pazminio cited the six basic educational foundations that have been commonly utilized in the past.

 

Biblical Foundation

Christian education begins with the Holy Scripture as the basis of truth, thoughts and practices. An example of Biblical educational concepts and practices derived from the Old Testament was presented by Timothy C Tennent, using Deuteronomy 6: 1- 2, 4 -9, in which he says, the Scripture provides educators insights about the goals, the teacher, the student, the content and the setting of biblical education. Psalm 78 is also used as an exemplary model as a source of educational concepts and framework, one commonly used by ancient Jewish families.

In the New Testament, the primary example as the working process for developing discipleship material is derived from the Gospel of Matthew- 'to make disciples'. Another New Testament passage that is used as a model of educational process and discipleship is from the Sermon of the Mount.

 

Theological Foundation

Theological foundation is another common educational process particularly employed by various Christian persuasion, to preserve denominational distinctive. According to Alister McGrath there are four distinctive theological issues that are used in developing Christian education among the evangelical tradition, namely: biblical authority, necessity of conversion, the redemptive work of Christ and personal piety.

 

The Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church, holding to their claim as the true church of Christ, have the creedal beliefs as the theological framework of education. Both their Catechism is a good model of educational process using creedal beliefs.

 

The Reformed view of education concerns itself mainly of the covenant of creation, the fall and the covenant of redemption, whilst the Pentecostalism process of education is focused on the hermeneutics of the Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles as is geared to educational process of experience, of charismata and the Holy Spirit.

 

Philosophical Foundations

Arthur Holmes, a Christian philosopher suggests that Christian education must - in order to capture the overarching worldview - be holistic (integrating whole of life), perspectival (adopting previous point of view), exploratory (probing relationships of different areas of life), pluralistic (articulating perspectives in different ways) and action outcomes. (What we think, what we value and what we do). Here are some of the modern Philosophies of Education as mentioned by R. Pazminio.

Perennialism - affirms intellectual, spiritual and ethical purpose in education in guiding the individual to eternal truths.

Essentialism - the discernment of truths is possible through the use of careful observation and reason.

Behaviorism – education serves to shape persons in prescribed behavior and responses.

Reconstructionism – holds the goal of building an ideal and just social order. Ulrich Zwingli’s reconstructionist view emphasizes the participation of Christians in civil affairs.

Romantic Naturalism – values individual freedom to develop one’s potential with the goal of self-actualization.

Existentialism – emphasizes the inner search for meaning of one’s existence in the realization of authentic personhood.

 

Historical Foundations

Establishing truth and ascertaining facts is important in education and historical study is the tool for it. Historical investigation as part of educational process is important in knowing the perspective of the past, the thoughts of the people and community that have brought to us our faith. It allows education to dig into the reality, which can then be applied in addressing the changing situation of our time.

 

Sociological Foundations

Reality is imperative when considering the process of Christian education. Peter Burger and Thomas Luckmann define knowledge as “the certainty that phenomena are real and that they possess specific characteristics.” This implies that Christian educators must be able to convey the knowledge of God, of Christ and His word against the backdrop of what the listeners consider as reality. A typical example is the reality of absolute morals in conveying the justice of God in our present postmodern era which views the reality of moral choice in a relative manner.

 

Psychological Foundations

Educational process must consider psychological parameters such as: development of human reasoning, understanding, behavior and learning. Christian educators must not frown on psychology but must instead see it as an essential element needed to produce educational content and practices, which is effective and comprehensible.

There are many psychological principles that are very helpful to Christian educators; among them, James Fowler’s theory of faith development, Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. Serious Christian educators must purposefully consider their theories.

 

Observations

Consultation of the above foundational issues are essential in the educational process in order for churches and educators to face the balance between the truths they uphold and the changes dictated by this modern day. However, there are some valid observations that I believe needs great consideration, which I would like to outline:

The lag

“The laws of a people are never at par with the best thought and sentiment of the people.” The changes on our education, practices and beliefs are always a reaction to the current need of today. This requires a continuous catalogue of changes and resolution as part of educational process.

Self preservation

Every church community's main concern is self – therefore the educational process is wholly influenced by the desire to preserve rather than to engage. This requires educators to look for educational processes that strengthen self - identification rather than mere creedal beliefs.

Accommodation

The other danger in developing educational processes that desire to continually address change is simply being too accommodating to an extent that the eternal truths, traditions and practices are completely diluted.

It is for this reason that I find Bruggeman’s educational proposition as refreshing. The life of Israel as a nation - though like any other nation experienced historical lapses and upheavals – persisted with its determination to exist, refused to be someone else and held on to its eschatological hopes, which in turn have allowed them to thrive. I believe that the Biblical Canon, being Israel’s history book, spiritual book, social book, ethical book political book and identity book has much to do for its’ continuing to live their purpose as a nation, an endeavor that modern day Christians seem not to have fully grasped and perpetuated.

Walter Brueggemann defined the educational process of Israel to the shape of the Biblical Canon that we have today, the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings, each of which played an important role in the continuing education of Israel; the Torah as the ethos of education, the Prophets as the pathos of education and the Writings as the logos of the education. I support that Christian education must go into an educational process where it begins with ethos (the authority in this case Christ, that binds the community together - who are we, what are we), continue with pathos that challenge common consensus (what if, what now) and made knowledgeable by logos (the truth, the principle that brings order and knowledge).

 

 

Section 2: Biblical Canon Substance and Process for Education

The mode of persuasion of good education like Israel must involve the holding together of ethos, pathos and logos. Educational process of Israel begins with the Torah, the very ethos of Israel that continues to appeal and bind the people to the One who calls them. But as Israel moved to the various episodes of its existence it had to be continuously disrupted by the Prophet of the LORD, the pathos that offers new revelation and interpretation of their ethos against contemporary consensus that no longer binds them to the One who calls them. As Israel continued to struggle in heeding to the call of the prophet for a change, they went through much life changing traumas that allowed them to take hold of the logos- the principle of life and order- given by the One who calls them. The logos became the order of life and is upheld by the sages as it is passed on through generations.

In his book, Brueggemann writes that it is not only important to look at the shape of the canon but we must give consideration to the process of the canon. This means delving into how the arrangement of the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings came to be the way it is today. The process is indicative of the development of how Israel educated its community through the many challenges and encounters it had experienced. The process also indicates the evolution of their thoughts, faith and understanding of Yahweh and their nation.

 

Educational Process through the Biblical Canon

Defining the Ethos of the Community - Torah

The beginning of the education of Israel is found in the Torah, the first division of the Old Testament Canon, known as the Pentateuch. Israel exists with a self-understanding of their origin, purpose and meaning through the Torah. The Torah is the “disclosure of the binding” that spells to every member of the community what is the reality that defines them together. The Torah is not a mere historical reporting or dogmatic conclusion but serves as narrative that conveys a mode of knowledge.

“And when your children say to you, ‘what do you mean by this service?’ You shall say…” Ex. 12:26

“When you son asks you in time to com, “what is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances which the Lord our God has commanded you? Then you shall say to your son....” Deut. 6:20 -21

“When your children ask their fathers in time to come, ‘what do these stories…?’ Then you shall let your children know…” Josh. 4:21.

“And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk to them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie own and when you rise” Deut. 6: 6-7

This, according to Bruggeman, is the canonical process of Torah of Israel, that invites the community to be nurtured and socialized which then leads to the formation of system of values and symbols, of ‘oughts’ and ‘mays’, of requirements and permission and of power configuration. The Torah is the starting point of the process of education and it intends to bind the people of Israel to the following realities:

The LORD, is their God and they are His People

His Promise, is our Purpose and Destiny

Our Narrative, our Symbols and our Life

The Pathos of the Community – The Prophets

The second division of the Old Testament Canon is the Prophet, which is composed of the former and latter prophets. Contrary to common understanding about the prophets as the defenders of the Torah, Bruggemann suggests that the prophets find its continuity from the Torah and comes alive to critique common consensus of Israel, which ultimately leads to complacency and false security within the nation. Yes the LORD said “I will be your God,” but the prophets will come to disturb this stability by asking, “What if…?”

This is the continuing education of Israel that addresses their contemporary beliefs, morals, and deeds. The prophets in this sense disturb the apparent stability and confidence of the people in the Torah. They challenge the authorities and powers of Israel: the kings, the leaders, and the religious institution that have become overly confident with their election as the LORD’s, that they distort and betray the ethos of the community.

The prophets present new revelation and new realities to the community. This is important in the continuing education of Israel but also of any community that needs to preserve their character in the changing status and norms of life. This is the role of prophetic education, which I will expound further in the next session.

The Logos of the Community – Wisdom

The narrative of the people of God is a cycle of faithfulness to Yahweh on one hand and unfaithfulness on the other hand, obedience and disobedience, peace and atrocities, stability and chaos. Both sides of the cycle are remembered and chronicled to become part of the wisdom literature that serves to guide the generations of Israel.

“Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb,” – Deuteronomy 4:10

“Remember that you were slaves in Egypt…” – Deuteronomy 5:15; 15:15, 16:12; 24:18; 24:22

“Remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt – Deuteronomy 7:18

“Remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” – Deuteronomy 8:18

“Remember this and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God to anger in the desert. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the LORD.” - Deuteronomy 9:7

“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.” Deuteronomy 32:7

The Book of Psalm, begins with the Torah, establishing the ethos of the community of God, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the wicked…but his delight is in the Law of the Lord.” But such stability was disrupted by the dominance of the wicked that it requires a new revelation, a new understanding of its ethos, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart, - But as for me my foot had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Psalm 73: 1-3. The Book ended with knowledge about the glory of God and exploding into praise. “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

The wisdom section of the Old Testament Canon is the Logos, the words of the LORD that operated, came to fulfillment, and experienced by Israel. It is the source of life or death, peace and prosperity, blessing and curse. It is timeless because it is the wisdom of God, revealed in the narrative of Israel.

 

 

Section 3: Developing an Education Through the Process of Biblical Canon

As the world where we have to exist and persist in our Christian faith, continues to submerge itself into the philosophies of post modernity, consumerism and pluralism, there is a great temptation among Christian educators to accommodate and adapt to its views. Beliefs, practices and moral principles are compromised in order to foster growth in the church. Traditional ethical values that are a heritage from the past are considered as outdated and insensitive to the needs of the world and therefore must be dropped. For this reason, Christianity is becoming a faith that holds no ethos of its own. It is absorbed by the world culture just as Richard Niebhur posited in his book Christ and Culture.

Following the point of Niebhur that the church must be transforming culture I believe that we must somehow consider the Biblical Canon as the process of our education. Christian education must provide and define first and foremost, the ethos of the community, secondly provide continuing revelation and interpretation of that ethos in the world, not the world in its ethos and finally, (it) must enrich the community with the timeless and tested logos, the wisdom of the community.

Developing the Ethos of the Community

The primary goal of Christian education following the biblical canon must be to define, provide and build the ethos of the community that appeals to the authority of Christ, which defines the identity, meaning, and purpose of the community.

Today’s Christian education lacks ethos. Christianity today is like any other religion, society and association, where one affiliates and becomes a member based on one’s preference of doctrinal accommodation, benefits received and sense of spiritual upliftment. Christians are categorized based on where they attend and not who they are. Modern Christianity lacks the ethos - the appeal to the authority- of the One who calls them to be His people, the One in whom their lives, purpose and meaning must be bound.

Christian self - understanding is basically glued to the experience or attainment of salvation. To be a Christian is to be saved from hell and be assured that one is qualified to go to heaven all because of the death of Jesus Christ. Though it is necessary to educate Christians about their salvation, it becomes meaningless if the ethos is self – serving. I believe that it is for this reason that moral ethics and character becomes more of an obligation rather than the spirit of what it is to be a Christian. It is interesting to note that salvation in the canon is not seen as a pagan coming to the LORD, but the chosen receiving deliverance from their God. The calling of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the nation of Israel to live in the ethos of the covenant preceded their experiences of salvation and deliverance from their enemies, not the other way around. Lack of ethos in Christian education creates the following precedence:

Salvation without commitment.

The works of Christ that leads to one’s restoration with God is seen as the incentive to be a Christian. Salvation is something that one receives as a benefit by professing belief in Christ rather than seen God as calling people “to become” His own people.

Salvation above morals and ethics.

Acquisition of the moral and ethical character of the call to become God’s people is seen as a stipulation having received salvation rather than as the character, motivation and spirit of one called by God. Obedience is not learned as a form of communion and knowledge of God but a way of one’s spiritual quest.

Salvation without purpose.

In as much as ethos is lacking the binding authority that brings solidity, certitude, consensus and consolidation modern Christianity becomes myopic to its purpose here on earth. The world is evil, yet desirable and must be avoided. Heaven is assured but unthinkable and must be guaranteed.

 

A Framework of Developing Ethos

1. The Christ Story

What binds Christians together? Many will be quick to answer, “Christ!” Somehow I disagree with such a saintly answer because in reality, Christians of various persuasions are bounded together either by their denominational doctrines, philosophies, spiritual expressions and practices. For example, reformed people with reformed theology, Pentecostals with Pentecostal theology and mystics with their mystical practices. Christian education I submit must begin in developing the ethos of the community and that persuasion should begin with the call of Christ to the people.

Ethos must persuade the people of God to the authority of the call of Christ and begin to take it upon themselves the meaning, the purpose and the life that they must become in heeding the call. The Torah of Israel is not merely about the Laws, though the bulk contains the Laws, but it is about “Let me tell you a story.” This is our story, this is why we are, and this is what we are. In other words to provide the substance of the ethos for Christian education is to say, “Let me tell you the story of Christ.”

2. The Intervention of God

The four gospels where carefully written by storytellers of the birth, deeds, life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The story of Jesus is presented as the intervention of a new way of God dealing with humanity. Mark and Matthew captured dramatized that the Christ story was an intervention of the divine to which the readers are invited to participate:

”Prepare the way of the LORD, Make His paths straight.” Mt 3:3, Mk 1:2

“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region of the shadow of death, Light has dawned.” Mt 4:16

Luke highlighted in great detail the angel’s announcement of Elizabeth (a barren woman of age) having a son and the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit upon Mary (virgin mother of Christ) to pave the way for the Incarnation of the Christ. The Jesus story of Luke is a new intervention of God. In the book of Acts of the Apostles, Luke continued the story of Christ through the dramatic event of Pentecost.

John, from the beginning of his account of the story of Christ proclaimed that this Jesus who came to us was from the beginning with God and was God. He came to His own but His own did not receive Him. He summarized his story with, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

The student of Christian education must be invited to participate and be part of this newness of God. Not just being assured of one’s escape from hell. This is an invitation to a new life with God.

3. Story of Wonder

Though nowadays many are adamant and frown about miracles, the story of Christ presents the miracles of Jesus. It is the ethos to which the participants are invited to consider, for in the story of Christ the problems that reason and logic cannot answer were shattered. The story of Christ invites remedy to the restlessness and incompetence of human capabilities.

4. The Shift of Power

The story of Christ invites the students to join in the shift of power, from the heavens to earth in the person of the Christ; the power of heaven has come to earth- our God is now in us. The powers of demons, of diseases, of curses and of nature have been broken in the story where one must belong.

In this story the invitation to be part of the ethos by God through Christ must be made. It is the ethos of the community where they bind together as, firstly, the God who intervened in this new story has made a promise and He will fulfill it. Secondly, God has ushered them into a new way of life, of doing things and of relating to one another. The Law is not an obligatory burden, but it is an expression of love that will bind them to God and to one another. There are only two laws that are expressed into many ways, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength and love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

Keeping Pathos in the Community

Pathos answers the question, “Yes, this is what God said, but what if…?” The difficulty that we face today but which has been the problem in the entire history of mankind is how “to be” in a changed world. How do we continue to live being what we are supposed to be when all the parameters of life are no longer the same? How does Israel live in the land of Canaan after living as desert nomads under the protection of the LORD? How do they deal with power coming from a powerless life? How do we trust the LORD when we now live in prosperity?

These are the same questions that Christianity persistently struggled with through history. From a persecuted and hated community how should they practice ‘dying for Christ’ now that the church had become the official religion of the Roman Empire?

How does the church practice poverty when it has become the richest and the most powerful religious institution during the medieval ages? And as a result of the reformation how does the church identify the true voice of God when everyone now reads and interprets the Scripture with their own hermeneutics?

This is an important and crucial part of Christian education, the pathos that will continue to unsettle accepted consensus of the community, which no longer allows the ethos of the community to be recognized by the community itself. Pathos is needed when thorns and thistles begins to choke the ethos of the community. Pathos in Christian education must open new revelation and new realities that will allow them to see indelibly their identity, purpose and meaning in the changed world.

 

A Framework of Developing Pathos

Christian education must be concerned and alert to the fast ever-changing ethos of the world and be able to present new realities that challenge the erosion of the unique ethos of the Christian community. Following Brueggemann’s suggestion on the intent of the prophetic claims I suggest the following framework for developing pathos if Christian education.

Old and New Wineskin

The discourse of Jesus on the old and new wineskin tells the importance of pathos in order that the community will not lose its meaning and life. The reformation, the puritan and the Pentecostal movements are examples of new realities to the people of the movements that allowed them to see and relive the meaning of what it is to be a follower and worshipper of Christ. For practical purposes, Christian education must therefore revisit and approach these pivotal events as pathos of the community rather than finding reasons to declare them as heresy.

 

New Realities

In the times of the Lord Jesus, one of the realities that religious leaders uphold is that sinners, the sick, the barren women and the poor are out of the favor of God. They are hopeless and cursed. When Jesus came to be with the poor, dine with tax collectors, deal with “sinful women” and ate with the sinners, the religious leaders where shattered and refused to accept this new reality for it meant an end to theirs.

Christian education must continue to address and provide new realities of how to relate and how to preach the love of God to different groups of people of different life preferences.

New Covenant

Brueggemann made a difficult proposition about our common understanding about the rigidity of the LORD and the changeability of his people. He basically tells us that God does change in the way that He brings to an end the status quo of his people. To follow what He was saying, God did not only renew His covenant several times but He rewrites His covenant with new specifics and stipulations, with new parties. I may be treading a difficult position here but I submit that the LORD has rewritten His covenant in the way it becomes meaningful to contemporary people.

Christian education must not look at God’s covenant as rigid plates that cannot be moved, but it must see the grace of God abounding to the included and the excluded people of God’s community.

 

Developing the Logos of the Community

The word of the LORD is true, because, the people of God experienced the fulfillment of the promise. But along the way to its fulfillment, the struggles, fears and the temptation to break away from the trust they had on the word of the LORD was intense. But to those who clung to His word, they received the bounty for doing so and gained wisdom from the logos. The third section of the Canon is the Wisdom sayings, the timeless experiences of God’s truthfulness of His precepts.

Christian education must be able to present the wisdom of obeying God’s word by showing it as the logos that brings about the peace, prosperity, order and life to the people of God. The Psalms, the Proverbs must not be read as mere poetic sayings coined by David, Solomon and the sages but they should be embraced as timeless wisdom that worked in the days of the persecuted church, the reformations, and the modern church era. It is the logos of God that comes alive in today’s business, politics, churches and communities.

 

A Framework of Keeping Order

1. Keeping the Narratives Together

Individual Christians experience the saving power of Christ in different ways. In the same manner, churches evolved having their own stories to tell and each one tends to iconize their particular stories. It would be wise for Christian educators to learn how to intertwine the many narratives into one single narrative of God for in it one will find the logos or wisdom of God’s dealing with human life and predicaments.

What are our lessons of life? What did God do in our individual lives? These are the questions that we need to ask in order to gather the treasure of wisdom, which the community can hold on to as tested logos.

2. Keeping the Continuity of the Narratives

Christian Educators must be able to re-interpret and re-apply the knowledge of the past to relevant knowledge of the present. How can the virtues of long ago, like charity, chastity, fidelity be much-desired virtues for today? How can “turning ones cheek” preserve one’s dignity and honor? Are there stories that prove the integrity of these virtues? It is quite easy to succumb to the pressure of modern day trends, but the logos have to be preserved. It must continuously be proven and that is the task of Christian Education.

 

Bibliography

Aristotle, Translated by Roberts Rhys, On Rhetoric, Book 1, Part 2

Barclay William, Train Up a Child: Educational Ideals in the Ancient World, Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1959

Berger Peter L. and Luckmann Thomas, The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge, Garden City, New York, Doubleday, 1966.

Brueggemann, Walter,

- The Creative Word – Canon as a Model for Biblical Education, Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1982.

- Interpretation and Obedience: From Faithful Reading to Faithful Living, Fortress Press Minneapolis, 1991

- Patrick Miller, Ed, The Psalm & the Life of Faith; Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 1995.

Crofts Steven, Transforming Communities: Re-imagining the Church for the 21st Century, Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd., London, 2002

Fowler James, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1981.

Holmes Arthur F,

- Contours of World View, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

- Holmes Arthur F, The Making of Christian Mind: A Christian World View and the Academic Enterprise, Downers Grove III, Inter Varsity, 1985

Kohlberg, Lawrence, The Cognitive Developmental Approach to Moral Education, Phi Delta Kappan, June 1975.

McGrath Alister, Evangelicalism and the Future of Christianity, Downers Grove, Inter Varsity Press, 1995.

Smith Powis,J.M, Moral Life of the Hebrews, University of Chicago Press. Illinois, 1923.

Tennent, Timothy C, Personal Philosophy of Christian Education, Gordon -Conwell Theological Seminary, 1984.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bro. Rene Nepomuceno is based in London and is currently the Senior Pastor of WIN United Kingdom. He is also a member of the International board and serves as Deputy International Director. Bro. Rene is our International Education Department director.