WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION?

With loving intention, God created human beings to be rational, social and

moral creatures. With this awareness, Catholic schools have always educated the

whole person. Filling the mind with knowledge and developing cognitive skills are

recognized as important in every school system, but Catholic education feeds not

only the brain but the soul.

I spent my entire high school life in a Catholic institution in our town. I have

so many good memories from my experiences there. There were obvious things

that would stay in my mind with my four-year stay in that reputable institution. I owe

my values, manners, and my Christianity to my teachers and the nuns in that

school. I was very privilege to have my secondary education in that school for my

spiritual life was enriched then. My catechetical experience during our fourth year

was very rewarding since we were able to introduce Christ to the elementary pupils

for five months. It was very fulfilling because we gained positive feedbacks from

teachers, parents and students themselves. At the end of that year, I was awarded

Catechist of the Year among more or less 300 graduates.

Knowledge is valued in every school, but in a Catholic school, knowledge is

recognized as a gift of the Holy Spirit (Greene, 2011). The mere provision of

knowledge is insufficient. As a student in a Catholic school, I know that knowledge

is only valuable if I put it to use in a way that serves God and others. I have been

taught that no matter how much knowledge I have, there will be many things I will

never fully understand. This does not frighten me or make me feel insufficient,

because my teachers also teach me to have faith.

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 Now, as a teacher I felt that I have this moral obligation to inculcate in the

minds of my students about Christianity in my own little way. As an educator my

goal is to prepare students to hear and respond to the “still, small voice” of God. My

job revolves around applying methodology and utilizing curriculum which enables

me to do so. Along the way, I must heed the words of Colossians 2:8, which warns

believers not to be taken captive by “hollow and deceptive philosophy which is

dependent on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on

Christ.

But what is a Christian philosophy of education? It places a high value upon

knowledge, both of God and of His works. It describes the moral and spiritual fruits

of this knowledge and defines its ultimate purpose (Bjron, 2015). The purpose of

Christian education is the directing of the process of human development toward

God's objective for man: godliness of character and action. It bends its efforts to the

end "that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works".

The focus of the educational process is, of course, the student, a unique individual

created for a specific purpose in God's plan. He must be properly qualified and

motivated if he is to perform his cooperative role. Without a regenerated, willing

student, Christian education cannot carry out its purpose.

I remember the core values of the Christian philosophy of education when I

was in college. I was a member of Christ’s Youth in Action (CYA)-BSU Chapter

starting second year up to fourth year college. CYA is a Catholic movement of

young Filipinos dedicated to evangelizing the youth and training leaders for the

service of the Church. I was once a worship leader in our chapter during my college

days. I felt so much blessed being a member of this religious organization because I
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was able to feel the love of God through the people around me. Going back to the

core values, I am going to discuss them one by one.

Centrality of the Bible

A simple definition of education is “the act or process of acquiring

knowledge.” For Christians, ultimate knowledge and ultimate truth resides in God’s

Word and in the fact that absolute and universal truth became flesh among us. We

consider the Bible to be the authoritative source for all truth and instruction (Schultz,

2016). Though the Bible may not give factual knowledge about every subject taught

in schools, it is the “framework of all inquiry” in that it provides principles and

guidelines for our entire lives- including our intellectual and educational lives. It also

shows us how subjects like math, science, and the arts fit into the world God

created. In fact, the Bible allows us to see that nature reflects His character, and

students can learn more about God by learning about His creation.

The Importance of Parents

God has placed a great responsibility in the hands of Christian educators.

However, the ultimate responsibility for educating a child lies with the parents (Vedo,

2012). Christian schools partner with parents to assist them in this responsibility and

should make every effort to encourage parental involvement and walk side-by-side

with parents as they seek to give their students a Christian education.

The Importance of Teachers

At the heart of a Christian school are its educators. Most educators are gifted

people with a passion for learning, teaching, and demonstrating the love of God to

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students. However, we are also humans and sinners (Graham, 2016). Our

worldviews are not always necessarily Biblical. We don’t always have the right

answers. We, like our students, need time and space to learn and grow. An

educational philosophy in which schools ask their teachers and administrators to

commit to personal and professional growth and give them ample time to do so

(professional development) allows for the intentional development of Biblical

worldviews.

Nurture in the Christian School

A Christian school educator has the responsibility to nurture students by

helping them develop community and their God-given gifts and talents. However,

although children are made in the image of God, like their teachers, they are also

‘deeply scarred by the fall and impacted by sin.’ A nurturing Christian school

environment takes this into consideration and structures its instruction, physical

environment, and discipline around this reality (Grant, 2010).

A nurturing educational environment takes into consideration the wide variety

of learning styles and multiple intelligences that students possess. The teaching

styles and methodology of Christian school educators should reflect those

differences.

Jesus was not a one-style-fits-all teacher. He varied his approach and

delivery. He often used metaphors to describe Himself and His character. He also

used similes (“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed,” Matthew 13:31),

analogies and parables (Hollebekk, 2012). This does not necessarily mean our

teaching must always include the use of literary devices. Rather, like Jesus, we

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should take the time to adapt the way we teach to the situation, the concept, and

the audience.

Responsive Discipleship

Graduates from Christian schools are their schools’ living report cards. A

successful Christian school is one that produces students who desire to and are

prepared to live out the great commission of making disciples of all nations. In order

to make disciples of the people of our world, students must be able to identify and

understand “false perspectives (Marquee, 2015). Only then will our students be

able to speak coherently with people who are wedded to those false views and lead

them toward the light”. We cannot fall into the trap of sheltering students in order to

“protect” them from non-Biblical perspectives. Rather, we must engage our students

in conversations about what truth is and how to dialogue with those who believe

differently.

In conclusion, I am tremendously grateful for all of the fruits in my life that are

the result of my Catholic education. Christian education has planted the seeds of

faith, knowledge and service within me and I will continue to nourish and help them

grow throughout the rest of my life.

As an educator, I must constantly remind myself that my job is more than the

means by which we earn my paycheck. Developing and understanding the reasons

our philosophy of education reminds me that educating students is something God

takes seriously and so should I. Becoming a good educator is not something I

accomplish once and then move it. It is a continuous process of learning and

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growing both academically and spiritually. It is something I must consciously do and

by doing so I am worshipping God.

Knowledge, faith and service are at the heart of Christian education (Vidales,

2015). All three are needed for the education of the whole person. I know that my

Catholic school education is a blessing. It nourishes my mind and my soul. Not only

does it challenge me daily to be the man God intends me to be, it also provides me

with the tools needed to meet the challenge.