Fondasi Pendidikan Kristen - Pengantar

Introduction

In commenting on the future of Christianity in 1995, the theologian Alister McGrath saw the potential for evangelical Christians to make a contribution. This continuing contribution relates to the viability of orthodoxy and the need to teach a living faith for the postmodern world. For this to be possible, Christians are called to be faithful in the theory and practice of Christian education to assure the transmission of a living faith to the rising generations. In support of this task, Christian educators are called upon to reappraise their thought and practice in relation to the foundational issues of Christian education. These foundational issues represent perennial or recurrent questions for those involved in the teaching ministries of the church. They deserve careful consideration by those who reflect upon their ministries of the past, present, and future.

This book in its third edition explores the disciplines used to form a holistic and integrated conception of Christian education from which guiding principles and guidelines for practice can be drawn. Christian educators who are evangelical in theological orientation need to make a concerted effort to affirm the biblical insights that provide the essential authority for theory and practice. Christians also need to incorporate insights from other disciplines.  Such incorporation, however, is subject to the continuing authority of God’s Word as found in Scripture. By critically exploring the various foundations that have been and are predominant in Christian thought, educators can better deal with current needs and future challenges.

Christian educators have been conscious of the need to balance concerns for both continuity and change. Continuity is affirmed in emphasizing essential biblical truths that have guided the Christian faith and educational ministries throughout the centuries. Change is affirmed in emphasizing the need for applying theological truths in relation to specific historical, cultural, social, and personal variables. This effort requires careful reappraisal of biblical and theological sources, as well as evaluation of the various trends that are confronting the wider society and world.

In exploring these areas, it is appropriate to pose questions that have continuing significance in Christian education. A European educator once confronted an educator from the United States with the observation that “American educators are always raising questions and never answering them.” In response to this remark, the educator from the United States asked yet another question, “Is that so?” To avoid this real danger, we must propose possible answers to the questions that are raised for consideration.

It is crucial that foundational questions be raised by Christian educators before they form a set theory and practice of Christian education. Raising these questions enables Christian educators to explore new possibilities and to consider “new wineskins” for Christian education. Through such exploration, persons concerned with education in various settings can identify principles and implications for practice. The process by which various educational questions are raised in relation to foundations, principles, and practice is suggested by Denis Lawton, who outlines these areas in relation to a systems diagram (see fig. 1).

At each point in the process, thought and practice are subject to the continuing authority of God’s written Word. The Bible is a critical instrument that discerns and judges the educator, the educatee, and the educational process. By exploring biblical and theological foundations first, Christian educators can affirm transcultural universals that may then guide all educational conceptions and efforts. The consideration of biblical and theological foundations can also serve to identify distinctive assumptions that Christians bring to their thought and practice of education. The consideration of philosophical foundations also assists the educator in specifying cultural universals in the purposes of education and the nature of knowledge. Transcultural and cultural universals are elements of continuity, less subject to change and various contingencies, though not exempt from interpretation in each educational setting.

The second step in the educational process involves the investigation of cultural variables through the disciplines of history and sociology, or anthropology. This step provides the Christian educator with a sense of his or her location in time and space. Cultural variables give the educator a sense of context, though cultural variables are more subject to the variations of time and space. Yet these cultural and subcultural variables are no less the concern of the Christian educator who seeks to contextualize her or his educational efforts. Thus the Christian educator endeavors to make the universal and transcultural truths of God’s revelation real to those participating in the educational event. The educator seeks to so know, understand, and love students that her or his teaching speaks directly to the students’ needs and concerns. This, of course, does not exclude the educator’s role as one who raises critical questions and provides perspectives unknown to the students. But some sense of one’s location in time, space, and society is crucial for faithful educational practice.

Beyond the questions of cultural universals and variables, the educator is confronted with individuals to whom she or he is responsible. The Christian educator needs to consider psychological foundations in order to discern the personal and group variables that influence education. In particular, the students or those being educated who are present and involved, voluntarily or involuntarily, must be considered. Also, educators are responsible to parents, administrators, boards, peers, pastors, and a host of other persons and groups, depending on the context of service. Psychological foundations provide insights to understand how persons develop, learn, and interact with others. Insights are also derived from sociological foundations for understanding how the teacher herself or himself relates and interacts with a variety of other persons, groups, and structures endemic to educational settings, whether in the home, the school, the church, or the community. The impact of sociological factors on psychological foundations indicates the interactions of the various dimensions of the educational process, as well as the potential limitations of a strictly systemic or analytical view of education. The diagramming of the system and process in figure 1 should include several connecting lines between each of the steps to reflect the complexity of the relationships. Additional lines could also be drawn to note the feedback from actual educational practices to the various foundations and their issues.

An additional step in the proposed model involves questions of educational content, the organized knowledge shared in Christian education. This step identifies the Christian heritage that will be shared with the persons and groups assembled. This living heritage draws on sources from the various foundations already identified in the model to form a curriculum. Curricular concerns at this point are organization of knowledge and identification of values and skills to be passed on from one generation or group to the next. In our current situation, questions of curriculum include the exposure of students to new knowledge and skills required for participation in a rapidly changing society. The inclusion of computer competency units in elementary and secondary schools is one example of curricular concern, given the impact of technology. Another curricular concern is the need for biblical and theological literacy in the Christian community.

Finally, the Christian educator needs to state educational principles that have been culled from the various foundations and then apply those principles to actual educational practices. A careful exploration of foundations is essential before one can specify principles and guidelines for practice. Too often, foundational questions have been ignored or the answers to such questions have been assumed in addressing the tyranny of urgent pressures in churches, homes, schools, and other ministry settings. While these fifth and sixth steps are not the focus of this text, suggestions are made in these areas for the reader’s consideration.

The entire educational process, though discussed in terms of a system, is subject to numerous contingencies that suggest Christian education combines aspects of an art, as well as of a science. The Christian educator is called upon to creatively combine and integrate insights from various disciplines in the thought and practice of education. This artful integration includes disciplines beyond those identified in this book as foundations for Christian education. Educational thought and practice have incorporated insights from such diverse studies as fine and applied arts, economics, political science, life sciences, physical sciences, systems theory, management theory, engineering, and mathematics. This reality supports the proposition that all truth is God’s truth. The Christian educator can incorporate God’s truth wherever it may be revealed in the created world in ways that reflect on humanity’s God-given creativity.

In discussing Christian education, one readily becomes conscious of its “preparadigmatic” character. Thomas Kuhn has suggested this term to describe an area of study or academic discipline that has not developed a paradigm—a dominant and widely accepted understanding, framework, or concept that serves to guide all thought and practice. In the physical and biological sciences, it is possible to identify dominant paradigms.8 In the case of the social sciences and education, it is more difficult to identify a dominant paradigm that guides all thought and practice, in part because the subjects for study in the social sciences and education are human beings. Human beings are infinitely more complex than physical, chemical, and biological processes. From a Christian theistic perspective, one can also affirm this complexity because persons are created in the very image of God. Each person is unique, and exceptions can be cited for any given paradigm or model.

This preparadigmatic stage of Christian education, which by virtue of persons’ created nature may be a perennial one, implies that any educational conception or practice remains incomplete and subject to renewal and change. This is due in part to the nature of persons with their unlimited potential for good as well as evil. The realization of this potential depends on the Christian educator’s relationship with God and the extent to which he or she follows God in educational thought and practice. Thus a major challenge facing Christian educators is to be faithful, obedient, and creative in their thought and practice. By drawing on various resources, Christian educators are further challenged to develop an integrated understanding of Christian education that will guide practice. To ignore this challenge is to potentially be victimized by a mindless effort that fails to give glory to God. An affirmation of the preparadigmatic character of Christian education also acknowledges the creation of space for the surprising and gracious work of the Holy Spirit in any educational approach or design.

The preparadigmatic stage of Christian education requires that each new generation of Christian educators reconsider the foundational questions. Without raising these questions, Christian educators are likely to perpetuate antiquated conceptions and practices that are not faithful to the gospel; to be captive to a culture devoid of significant impact; and to be unresponsive to what the Holy Spirit is saying. Whereas this task is the particular responsibility of those professionally called to Christian education at various levels, the people of God as a whole must recognize their accountability for the direction and quality of Christian education in churches, homes, schools, communities, and societies. A lack of commitment to foundational issues results in limited possibilities for present and future generations.

The chapters in this book are organized to suggest a relationship in the order of the educational foundations as they appear in pairs. In an evangelical tradition, priority is given to the biblical and theological foundations as they provide normative categories for the theory and practice of education. These foundations are discussed in chapters 1 and 2. The philosophical and historical foundations, explored in chapters 3 and 4, are also often paired because their mutuality and complementarity support the task of integration in forming an understanding and appreciation of educational practice within distinct contexts. This is the case because philosophies and histories vary over time and place, and conjoint study fosters the discovery of connections. Also, both sociological and psychological foundations, the topics of chapters 5 and 6, are linked as social sciences that have been readily drawn upon in the field of education. Their interrelationship is noted in the discussion of a systems analysis of the various foundations. Finally, curricular foundations in chapter 7 serve as a bridge from wrestling with foundational issues to applying the actual principles for and practices of education. Additional relationships can be suggested to weave together the various foundational issues explored here, but these vary with the educational approach and rationale embraced by Christian educators.

The rationale for the first and subsequent editions of this book is captured in the wisdom shared by the Jewish educator Abraham J. Heschel, who said, “Thinking without roots will bear flowers but no fruits.” Christians must hink about Christian education if they are to faithfully bear fruit in their practice. The consideration of the roots of Christian education calls for careful attention to the foundations that we draw upon. A good theory that emerges from grappling with foundational issues will well serve those engaged in the practice of Christian education in a wide variety of settings. A good theory enables those who teach to see, analyze, and respond to educational tasks in creative and faithful ways.

This work is written from a bicultural North American Hispanic perspective. The author is also an ecumenical evangelical Christian in theological persuasion. For many this may pose an irreconcilable tension. First, Hispanics have generally been associated with Central and South America and the Caribbean rather than with North America. Second, ecumenical Christians are generally viewed as not being those who identify themselves as evangelical. Nevertheless, it is from the ecumenical vantage point that I address the current and enduring challenges of Christian education. My distinctive identity and perspective have enabled me to draw from diverse sources in my thought and practice.

This work is intended to be an introductory textbook for upper-level college and seminary courses. Its approach draws heavily on secondary sources to provide a wide exposure for students. My hope is that students will be encouraged to explore the references provided for further study. Although the primary audiences for this work are persons of evangelical persuasion, it is also intended to engage the wider ecumenical community of religious educators.

I wish to thank those communities and individuals who have made this book possible through their nurture and those who have used the first and second editions. I am grateful to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, which I have known both as a student and as a faculty member for five years. The students in the courses I have taught have challenged me to consider various aspects of Christian education and to develop my thoughts. I am also grateful to Andover Newton Theological School, which has supported my calling to serve a multicultural and theologically diverse church and world over these past twenty years. I also appreciate the fellowships and congregations that have supported and guided me throughout my ministry.

I am indebted to the friends who patiently typed and edited the original manuscript and those colleagues who fostered the process of writing through their feedback and reviews. In particular, I thank Virginia Steadman and Deborah Perkins for their service on earlier editions. 

My greatest appreciation goes to my family, immediate and extended, who have loved and encouraged me in the midst of my work. My parents, Laura and Albert Pazmiño, always believed in me and modeled the Christian life. My children, David and Rebekah by birth and Larisa by marriage, along with my grandson, Oliver, have always challenged me to be a better teacher and model in our home. Finally, I thank my wife, Wanda, for being a close companion and friend throughout the joys and struggles of my pilgrimage.

A Note on the Third Edition

Foundational issues in Christian education are raised in the changing contours of societal landscapes. Since the writing of the second edition of this work, postmodernism has emerged as a movement influencing educational thought and practices. The appendix to the second edition subtitled “Proclaiming Truth in a Postmodern Setting” noted one part of a Christian response to postmodern trends in emphasizing the search for truth that undergirds all educational efforts. The appendix to a subsequent work, God Our Teacher: Theological Basics in Christian Education,11 noted the other part of a Christian response in emphasizing the stance of love. This second appendix was titled “Crossing Over to Postmodernity: Educational Invitations.” (Both appendixes are included in this third edition.) The holistic Christian response calls for living and speaking the truth in love. This third edition of Foundational Issues reexamines the roots of Christian thinking on education, honoring a second nugget of wisdom penned by Abraham Heschel: “Religion begins with a question and theology with a problem.”12 This third edition explores educational questions and problems from the perspective of the Christian faith. Postmodernism emerges as an additional educational philosophy or impulse noted in chapter 3. Despite the questions that postmodernism raises about the possibility of enduring foundations, the examination of the roots of educational thoughts and practices is essential. Such reexamination in this third edition honors the distinctive elements of Christian revelation and faith while actively engaging the task of loving God with all of our minds. This is the responsibility and privilege of all Christians who teach today and in the years to come. Each chapter of this third edition was updated, clarified, and reviewed in the process of reexamining foundational issues while maintaining the basic structure of earlier editions. Each chapter includes questions for personal reflection or classroom use under “Points to Ponder.”