Rethinking Discipleship

“We can have no clear or useful idea of what education is, unless we have some notion of what

this training is for. Thus we come to inquire what is the purpose of education, and here we get deeply into the area of conflict. . . . The moment we ask

about the purpose of anything, we may be involving ourselves in asking about the purpose of everything. If we define education, we are led to

ask, What is Man?’; and if we define the purpose of education, we are committed to the question ‘What is Man for?’ Every definition of the purpose of Every definition of the purpose of

education, therefore, implies some education, therefore, implies some concealed, or rather implicit, philosophy or concealed, or rather implicit, philosophy or theology. In choosing one definition rather theology. In choosing one definition rather than another, we are attracted to the one than another, we are attracted to the one

because it fits in better with our answer to because it fits in better with our answer to the question ‘What is Man for?’”the question ‘What is Man for?’”

Not the . . . Not the . . . means of educationmeans of education;

instructional strategies and curriculum

kinds of schoolskinds of schools; public, private, Christian, charter, home

funding of educationfunding of education; how, how much, to whom

equipping of teachersequipping of teachers

social and public policy social and public policy regarding schools

Presupposition 1Presupposition 1

The Scriptures, properly understood, are for the followers of Christ, the final authority on all issues to which they speak

Presupposition 2Presupposition 2

There is, however, a growing practice among “evangelicals”

to limit both the scope and authority of the Scriptures.

What I call the ““Great Disconnect”Great Disconnect”

An Illustration An Illustration Dallas Willard posed the following question, posed it on behalf

of Jesus, to the faculty of a well known Christian College:

“Why don’t you respect me in your various fields of study and expertise? Why don’t

you recognize me as master of research and knowledge in

your fields?”

The response:

Some thought the question entirely appropriate Some were unsure of the meaning of the

question Most responded – “Are you serious?”

“The idea that Jesus is master of fields such as algebra, economics, business administration, or French literature

simply had not crossed their minds – and had a hard time finding access

when presented to them.”(Dallas Willard)

Presupposition 3Pastors and leaders in the

evangelical church also tend to limit the meaning and means of

discipleship

Presupposition 4Presupposition 4

The Scriptures are not the only “lenses” through which we

examine a topic such as education; both history and culture provide

additional lenses; but Scripture must be viewed as our final authority.

Presupposition 5Presupposition 5Because the “evangelical” church at large has

failedfailed (and I am convinced that failed is an appropriate term) to address this topic parents

have been left without a sound biblical framework for thinking about the education of their children. Thus they are typically more influenced by history

(in this case their own history) and culture (the one that keeps pressing them into its own mold)

than they are by Scripture when it comes to deciding about the education of their children.

The same is true of pastors.The same is true of pastors.

The Paideia of SocratesThe Paideia of Socrates

“If you ask what is the good in general of paideia, the answer is easy. Paideia

produces good men and good men act nobly.”

Plato quoting Socrates, The Republic

What is meant by paideia in the Greek What is meant by paideia in the Greek culture?culture?

“The classical Greek system of education and training which came to include gymnastics, grammar, rhetoric, poetry, mathematics,

geography, natural history, astronomy and the physical sciences, history of society and

ethics and philosophy, the complete the complete pedagological course of study necessary pedagological course of study necessary

to produce a well rounded, fully to produce a well rounded, fully educated citizen.”educated citizen.”

Richard Tarnass, The Passion of the Western Mind

Paideia in the Greco-Roman culturePaideia in the Greco-Roman culture

The Greco-Roman world espoused an The Greco-Roman world espoused an education – or paideia – that was education – or paideia – that was founded on principles offounded on principles of

Civic responsibility Character development

The goal: The goal: Good men who act nobly

The means: The means: The paideia

Are children “mere creatures of the Are children “mere creatures of the state?”state?”

“A monopolistic system of education controlled by the state is far more efficient in crushing our

liberty than the cruder weapons of fire and sword. Against this monopoly of education by the State the Christian school brings a salutary protest; it contends for the right of parents to bring up their children in accordance with the

dictates of their conscience and not in the manner prescribed by the state.”

J. Gresham Machen, Education, Christianity and the State

The “Modern Paideia”The “Modern Paideia”To that Greco-Roman understanding of education we must add

the following thoughts. Education has become both the

““passport to privilege”passport to privilege”andand

““socialization socialization solution”solution”

“With few exceptions, they (students from Duke University’s School of Business) wanted three

things – money, power and things (very big things, including vacation homes, expensive foreign

automobiles, yachts and even airplanes). Primarily concerned with their careers and the growth of their financial portfolios, their personal plans contained little room for family, intellectual

development, spiritual growth or social responsibility. Their mandate to the faculty was, ‘Teach me how to be a money-making machine.’

‘Give me only the facts, tools and techniques required to ensure my instantaneous financial

success.’ All else was irrelevant.”William Willimon and Thomas Naylor, The Abandoned Generation: Rethinking Higher Education

“The great tragedy is that in the twentieth century, laboring under the the myth of neutralitymyth of neutrality, education in the

West attempts to offer a value-free answer to the questions ‘What is ‘What is

man?’ man?’ and ‘What is man for?’ ‘What is man for?’ Not only is it philosophically and

pedagogically impossible to do so – which creates its own problems in terms

of truthfulness about what is actually happening in education – but its fruit is Postman’s technocrat’s ideal: ‘a person

with no commitment and no point of view but with plenty of marketable

skills.’”Steven Garber, The Fabric of Faithfulness

“What distinguishes the present time is that there is a lot more information (and

disinformation) available than ever before, and a lot of people are trying to sell it to us. . .

. What happens to Jesus in the crush of information pushers? Unfortunately he is

pushed aside. Many Christians do not ever think of him as one with reliable information about their lives. Consequently they do not

become his students.”Dallas Willard, The Great Omission

“Parents . . . bring up your children in the paideia of paideia of

ChristChrist . . .”Paul to the parents of Ephesus

The Greco-Roman philosophers The Greco-Roman philosophers were right, just not completewere right, just not complete Civic responsibility is a good thing Character development is a good thing

Modern culture/post-modern Modern culture/post-modern culture is right, just not completeculture is right, just not complete Economic well being is not some monstrous

evil Nor is teaching children a proper

understanding of social culture But “we” are still missing the But “we” are still missing the

primary purposeprimary purpose

Paul challenges the assumptions of the Greco-Roman culture when he writes to parents about “bringing up their children in the “bringing up their children in the ‘paideia of the Lord.” ‘paideia of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:1-4) In so doing he clearly communicates There is a paideia that is distinctively There is a paideia that is distinctively

ChristianChristian Of understanding how we know what we know Of understanding how we know what we know is true Of understanding how best to act on what we know is true

It is a paideia that is wholly It is a paideia that is wholly integrated with all of life integrated with all of life – Bring them up

It is a process for which the Apostle It is a process for which the Apostle holds parents, not the state holds parents, not the state responsibleresponsible

To cultivate in our children an To cultivate in our children an understanding of what isunderstanding of what isTrueHonorableRightPureLovely Of good reportExcellentWorthy of Praise (Philippians 4:7-8)

To develop in our children the capacity to “take every thoughtevery thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

To encourage our children to know fullyto know fully to understand deeplyto understand deeply to act appropriatelyto act appropriately to decide wiselyto decide wisely (Proverbs 1:1-7)

To provide a living laboratory for how life in the kingdom and under the sun is to be lived (Luke 6:40)

“All studies, philosophy, rhetoric are followed for this one object, that we may know Christ and honor him. This is the end of all learning and eloquence.”

Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1528

.

“What is education for? And more specifically, what is at stake in a

distinctively Christian education? What does the qualifier Christian mean when appended to education? It is usually understood that education is about

ideas and information . . . the life of the mind . . . a Christian worldview which is

taken to be a system of Christian beliefs, ideas, and doctrine.”

“What if education, including higher education, is not primarily about

absorption of ideas and information, but about the formation of hearts and

desires? What if we began by appreciating how education not only

gets into our head but also grabs us by the gut –what the New Testament

refers to as kardia, the heart”?

“What do we wish to maximize through our schooling? Is it

knowledge? Is it intelligence? Or, is it wisdom? If it is wisdom, then we need to put our students on a

much different course.”Robert Sternberg, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Tufts University