What Christian Scholars have written about goals for CE (cont'd)

(Continued from 1st July entry)

Moving on, in his book Hear, my Son: Teaching and Learning in Proverbs 1–9, Daniel Estes explores educational goals found in Proverbs 1 – 9. Given the nature of the Book of Proverbs, we find that the educational context of Proverbs transcends the idea of an isolated religious community unconcerned about the affairs of everyday life. Instead, the educational context of Proverbs embraces more broadly the totality of life. Estes writes about the goals of education found in Proverbs 1 – 9:

Proverbs 1-9 contains a wealth of information regarding the goals of education in this portion of the biblical wisdom corpus. There are numerous explicit statements indicating the outcomes that the teacher desires to produce in the learner. In addition, the frequent indicators help to define the goals of education envisioned in Proverbs 1–9. (p63)

So what are the goals of education envisioned in Proverbs 1–9? Estes states six of them:
1. Commitment
2. Character
3. Competence
4. Protection
5. Prosperity
6. Knowledge of God

Actually, the idea of education for a larger context than just the bounds of a religious community living under some sort of a sacred canopy is explored by a significant present day Christian philosopher named Nicholas Wolterstorff. Wolterstorff is Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology, and Fellow of Berkeley College, at Yale University. In his book Educating for Life: Reflections on Christian Teaching and Learning, Wolterstorff writes:

Christian education cannot teach only for development; it must also teach for healing and reconciling. Christian education must be education that teaches for justice and peace while exhibiting justice and peace. (258)

We work for shalom. And that work takes the form both of working to develop creation’s potentials and of working to heal the dysfunctions in our relationships. (262)

The task of Christian education has two dimensions: The task of development and the task of healing. We need them both. And the task of healing must be energized by lament. Indeed, so must the task of development. (264)

-Nicholas Wolterstorff. 2002. Educating for Life: Reflections on Christian Teaching and Learning.

Note the two dimensions of development and healing that he tries to incorporate in his vision of Christian education. In some ways, the analogy of the medical enterprise helps us to understand what he means by these two dimensions. We strive for shalom or wholeness by investing in primary health care, in preventive medicine, in front end work which allow for development and flourishing. At the same time, we strive for shalom or wholeness by investing in ER services, in damage control, in back end work. In an ideal situation, we need only concern ourselves with preventive and formative work, but in the real world, both development and formation, on the one hand, and fire fighting work, on the other hand, are important educational tasks of the church.

It is thus no surprise that in their book Teaching for Reconciliation, Ronald Habermas and Klaus Issler write about advancing comprehensive reconciliation (33-46) and developing a reconciliation model of Christian maturity (47-57). Habermas and Issler draw their inspiration from Wolterstorff, and for them, the goal of teaching is to promote reconciliation between (i) the individual and God, (ii) the individual and self, (iii) the individual and others, and (iv) the individual and creation (36)

The scope of education suggested by Habermas and Issler is thus broad, comprehensive, and encompasses all of life - from the individual level to the global level.

To be continued...