The Basics of Christian Education - Essay Example

Summary

The book, “The Basics of Christian Education,” by Karen B. Tye of Eden Theological Seminary in St Louis, is immensely insightful in addressing the aim, process, scope, participants, evaluation, and challenges facing contemporary Christian education. The evolution of modern society has created unique contexts that make traditional approaches to Christian education unfeasible. Church educationalists are struggling with the concept of quality Christian education. The book delves into the haziness and intricacy of congregational life. This paper involves a critical review of Tye’s arguments and links them with the state of Christian education in the contemporary congregational set-up.

Tye’s book is well structured, which makes the task of reviewing it efficiently. She enunciates the questions that form the very core of Christian education: where, why, who, what, and how. In essence, these question the chapters of the book and provide a backbone upon which the review is done. In an sy style and a series of illustrative stories, the author invites readers to delve into a rich array of perspectives. In so doing, she drives them to identify and own the perspectives that fit their situations. This critical review discovers that Tye rarely ever gives a simplistic easy-to-follow answer to the key questions regarding Christian education mentioned above. Instead, she invites readers to make succinct conclusions from the lists of alternatives she provides. The invitation is undoubtedly effective in handling the extreme prominent issue of diversity in contemporary congregations. The insights provided by the book could revolutionize contemporary Christian education but only if stakeholders in educational ministry take them seriously.

Critical Analysis of the Book content and Its Relevance to Current World

The book “Basics of Christian Education” by Karen B. Tye is an exceptional book designed for parents, teachers, community groups, and the clergy because it provides a discourse on key areas that require attention when formulating and implementing Christian education programs. The author presents a holistic approach to teaching in a Christian setting that requires keen deliberation of several essentials. She bases her arguments and submissions upon responses from her congregation and students, as well as the works of accomplished theorists in the area of Christian education such as Donald Miller, Jack Seymour, Sarah Little, and John Westerhoff. This makes her book practical, crucial and imposing in delineating the role of Christian educators in nurturing a richer understanding of the relationship between God and man. There is a commission set out for believers in Deut. 6: 6; “Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.” This commission should embody the calling of any parent, Christian or church educationalist. In knowing the key pillars of the Christian faith, and living the faith in every dimension of one’s existence, it is possible to share it with individuals of all ages.

Jesus set practical and effective precedence in the way Christian education needs to be approached. Christ called his disciples, made them family, established a unique and lasting relationship with them, and imparted in them knowledge, skills, and courage to meritoriously carry on his ministry after he ascended. He led and directed them, and by following and learning from him, the disciples were equipped with the vital skills and behaviors they needed for the task. Since Christian education needs to be relational, primarily, any theoretical and theological tactic to instructing Christianity should make a concerted effort to emulate Christ’s methodology with his disciples. Formulating and implementing Christian education for modern believers, and non-believers require a variety of practices and methods. A holistic approach will allow God’s transformative grace to change the recipients’ habits of living, thinking, and being.

Tye defines Christian education in four distinct ways; as personal development (a process of growth, morally or spiritually), as religious instruction (deliberate and intentional instruction), as liberation (critical thinking and transformation), and as socialization (formation through a faith community). It thus suffices to state that the author echoes a multi-faceted paradigm to Christian education from the start of her book. According to her, the most important reason for Christian education is two-pronged. First, the church to remain true to its past, which would in turn ensures continuity. Secondly, for the church to be open to the prevailing circumstances and still maintain the ability to adapt to the future, as God calls us forth into a new life. According to Tye, this educates and prepares the modern Christian to live and continually serve God.

Christian education has evolved multiple times since the beginning when Adam and Eve were instructed directly by God. As one of the prerogative assignments to believers and parents (Deut. 6:1-6, Matt. 28:18-20), we need to carry out a retrospection on how effective Christian education is today. Tye builds her book upon the fundamental questions that plague many a contemporary Christian educationist. Such questions include; why is it important to teach the Christian faith? Where is it to be taught? Who to teach? How to educate and evaluate? What are the challenges facing Christian educationists? Karen B. Tye organizes her book in chapters that mirror these questions.

The first sections of her book delve into the meaning of Christian education and the congregational life from a Christian education perspective. She asks ‘where do we educate? Who do we educate?’ (Tye, 2000). The answers to this pair of questions are vital in designing and implementing Christian education programs. From the nonprofessional’s point of view, Christian education mainly happens in Sunday services, and during bible study sessions. However, these are only two of what should be a comprehensive Christian education program. According to Tye (2000, p. 30), the context in an educational setting is everything. She further explains that context alludes to situations, settings, and circumstances. However, it is vital to point out that context transcends the physical space to encompass aspects such as interactions, sentiments, attitudes, cultural qualities among others (Tye, p. 30).

A deeper inspection of the commission in Deuteronomy 6: 1-6 brings to the fore God’s design of context as far as faith instruction is concerned. The writer concisely challenges our faith ancestors to diligently teach their children in their homes and even when engaging with the wider world (Tye, p. 36). Taking this scripture literally, our ancestors of faith were challenged to keep instructing their children in the ways of the faith in everything that they did. Christian education today has taken the context element for granted. Many a time education has been restricted to a formal or scheduled time or place. This implies that contemporary Christian education stakeholders rarely keep the learning process running in everything that they do. As a result, they are not constantly engaging with the commission of Deut. 6: 1-6. As such, they do not fully comprehend what it means for their lives and do not live it to its entirety. Tye (2000) makes a list of three key insights that expand contemporary understanding regarding the context of educational ministry. The first of these revolves around the congregation. She submits that aggregate of the life of the community of faith inside and outside the church walls educates (Tye, p.37).

Secondly, she discusses how an aggregate of emotional, attitudinal, and cultural contexts. These acumens revolve around how one feels comfortable, welcome, or safe in a certain setting. Contemporary Christian congregations are becoming increasingly diverse. Globalization has heralded a polarization of the society along racial, creed, and social-economic lines. Tye (2000, p. 39) points out that emotional, attitudinal, and cultural contexts are not unknown, only that some stakeholders choose to ignore them and fail to implement what is needed to create the optimal context. Helpful learning can only take place in situations where inclusivity for all has been achieved. All stakeholders in Christian education programs need to let go of hardwired prejudices and perspectives that prevent the total inclusion of learners regardless of their race, creed, or social-economic backgrounds. According to Tye (2000), a participant does not need to feel unwelcome or afraid to participate because of how others in the program feel or portray themselves. She advocates for openness, hospitality, and a sense of safety, which could be practical and effective in the modern polarized society. Thirdly, Tye (2000) proposes that ‘context’ should stretch beyond the confines of the church walls. Two of the most important pillars of Christian education, family, and mission/service, are found outside the church building (Tye, p. 42). Thus, Christian education has to be carefully balanced between the church, home, and service.

Family fellowship at individual homes represents the most basic picture of Christian education. This provides a platform where parents instruct their children in a very informal setting and in so doing, live up to the commandment enshrined in Deut. 6: 1-6. In any case, fellowship at the home or family level helps parents set good examples and act as role models of the Christian faith to their children and their neighbors. This aspect of Christian education has almost been entirely neglected. Many parents-even Christians-are busy trying to provide a life for their children that the bulk of education initiative has been placed on teachers, both Christian and public. Most lack time or means to establish healthy work-life balances and as a result, a significant number of families end up breaking. Separations, divorces, and single parenthood make parents disillusioned and as such, they are unable to instruct their children on Christian tenets. Mission and service to others provide congregants with a chance to walk the talk. Tye (2000, p. 43) gives a good illustration of this by alluding that being provided with information in form of facts and figures is different from engaging these facts and figures and learning to apply them. For instance, one can talk a lot about poverty and its multifaceted effects on the lives of those it plagues but do very little when it matters by donating. Again, community service and mission work have been underwhelming practiced by the majority of congregants.

The impacts of modern culture, finance, government policies, and societal pressures have heralded significant challenges to Christian education paradigms. Nowadays, stakeholders in Christian education have to contend with issues such as secularism, relativism, and consumerism. Maitanmi (2019) contends that the rise of mass media; cinema, television, and social media touts individualism, hedonism, consumerism, and relativism as enticing idols. A good example of the impact of secularism is a parent torn between investing in Christian education or not because he/she is not sure whether it will guarantee a good-paying job for his/her son. Tye’s position on context, if applied effectively has the potential to counter the detrimental impacts of secularism. Teaching needs to happen incessantly. The bible is rife with instances of education but schools are hardly mentioned. Teaching faith has mainly been done in very informal settings. Take Christ’s teaching contexts, for instance. He hardly ever used synagogues. Most of his memorable lessons were imparted on hillsides, lakeshores, in boats, while visiting homes, or when just taking a walk (Bracke & Tye, 2000). Tye’s submissions that Christian education need not be restricted to the church building or programs, thus, carry a lot of weight.

Tye then delves into content as an answer to what should be taught in Christian education programs. The Christian education needs of the current world are decidedly very different from those of yesteryears. Tye (2000) posits a multidimensional and multilayered knowledge is required to live a successful Christian life in the contemporary world (p. 57). As such, this challenges Christian education stakeholders to approach the selection of content in a bold, broad, and all-inclusive approach. The story of the Christian faith, skills needed to sustain the faith, awareness of the connection between faith and Christian lives, as well as how to live together as a Christian community, should all be part of the content. As such, sources of Christian education knowledge need not be limited to the bible, books, and other formal study guides. Rather, Christian educationalists need to explore knowledge that buds from the live experience (Tye, p. 57). Also, social service and mission work provide a distinct opportunity to practice and engage in new behaviors. The contemporary congregation needs to be educated in a distinctly hands-on manner. Being versed in who Christ is should not be enough until the congregants effectively and continually to life in Christ and the ministry. Against this backdrop, one would agree with Tye on the position that teaching is more than the impartation of knowledge.

On the issue of participants, Tye attempts to provide insights into who should be educated in Christian education programs. At the heart of the answer to this question, lies paying attention to those being educated. In doing so, educators would avoid getting in a web of subconscious categorization, making judgments and assumptions (Tye, p. 69). Tye outlines four insights that outline the complexity of human nature in the form of psychological, biological, theological, and cultural natures. To create an all-inclusive Christian education program is to take into account the complexity of humans, and then attending to such differences. It is vital to point out that each individual approaches the learning process differently because of an aggregate of personal and community backgrounds. Tye (2000) posits that individuals make sense of life experience either through reflection or through active experimentation (p. 87). As such, the education ministry should be designed to handle these individual differences to ensure that the learning process is effective. Tye’s assertion reflects what Christian education should be like in the 21st century because of the increased heterogeneity of congregations around the world.

In reflecting on the method and process of teaching, Tye mulls over several key issues. First, an easy how-to-do-this guide is out of the question because Christian education is complex and requires a myriad of approaches. The methods that impartation of education entail should be compatible with context, content, and learners. Secondly, the process of educational ministry needs to be philosophical, pragmatic, and interpersonal. Tye (2000) argues correctly that when the learning process is infused with multi-sensory experiences and gives time for learners to reflect on how to apply what they learn in their lives, learning and growth is achieved more effectively (p. 94). In the 21st century, the educational ministry endeavors to prepare the congregation for a life of faith amid more challenges than the church has faced since its inception. The bulk of the task lies in using a spectrum of paradigms that must not only include time for reflection but also consider learners from the perspective of their different learning styles and development of faith. Although each participant is unique, teaching relationally invites the learners to be part of the bigger picture. Tye (2000)-through a series of influential metaphors-illustrates how relational teaching teaches participants who they are and to whom they belong (p. 96-100).

At the core of any educational process lies evaluation and assessment because it indicates progress and shows the extent to which objectives have been achieved. Apart from pointing out the shortcomings of the process Tye (2000) points out that the process of evaluation is also instrumental in outlining what has been done right (p. 107). As such, evaluations mold educationalists into better managers of time, energy, and resources used during the learning process. The feedback that educationalists get from the learners is vital in evaluation. Tye lists a variety of tools that can be used in the evaluation process. These include verbal feedbacks and written tests. Just like in all other pillars, Tye insists on inclusivity in formulating the assessment plan where the views of all are taken into account. Despite the awareness of the importance of awareness of evaluation in education, it has not been taken seriously in the bulk of education ministry. Tye notes that evaluation and assessment take place constantly, although most times subconsciously (Tye, p. 116). As such, deliberate effort needs to be put into formulating intentional events that will evaluate and assess the efficacy of Christian education in all settings.

On the challenges that contemporary Christian education faces, Tye (2000) puts a lot of emphasis on resistance to change. Although one of the most constant elements of human existence is change, another enduring human characteristic entails resisting change. However, resisting change blocks growth and hinders crucial discourses that need to be made. Some of the hindrances that Tye (2000) lists include tyranny of urgency, fear, routine, presumptions, false clarity, and what she terms as the ‘messiness’ of life (pp. 119-130). Although these obstacles are by no means exhaustive, they certainly represent the bulk of the impediment that plague the educational ministry.

Intentionally planning content within appropriate contexts for the right participants, delivering it effectively in a multilayered setting, and then following through with appropriate evaluation practices will lead to effective Christian education. Tye, however, retaliates that no matter how perfectly the learning process is envisioned and implemented, it can only shape the learning process of those involved not ensure an outcome (Tye, p. 104). The Basics of Christian education provides useful and practical insights into educational ministry in a fast-changing environment. Tye’s positions are very applicable to the setting of Christian education in the contemporary world.

Jesus set practical and effective precedence in the way Christian education needs to be approached. Christ called his disciples, made them family, established a unique and lasting relationship with them, and imparted in them knowledge, skills, and courage to meritoriously carry on his ministry after he ascended. He led and directed them, and by following and learning from him, the disciples were equipped with the vital skills and behaviors they needed for the task. Since Christian education needs to be relational, primarily, any theoretical and theological tactic to instructing Christianity should make a concerted effort to emulate Christ’s methodology with his disciples. Formulating and implementing Christian education for modern believers, and non-believers require a variety of practices and methods. A holistic approach will allow God’s transformative grace to change the recipients’ habits of living, thinking, and being.

Tye defines Christian education in four distinct ways; as personal development (a process of growth, morally or spiritually), as religious instruction (deliberate and intentional instruction), as liberation (critical thinking and transformation), and as socialization (formation through a faith community). It thus suffices to state that the author echoes a multi-faceted paradigm to Christian education from the start of her book. According to her, the most important reason for Christian education is two-pronged. First, the church to remain true to its past, which would in turn ensures continuity. Secondly, for the church to be open to the prevailing circumstances and still maintain the ability to adapt to the future, as God calls us forth into a new life. According to Tye, this educates and prepares the modern Christian to live and continually serve God.

Christian education has evolved multiple times since the beginning when Adam and Eve were instructed directly by God. As one of the prerogative assignments to believers and parents (Deut. 6:1-6, Matt. 28:18-20), we need to carry out a retrospection on how effective Christian education is today. Tye builds her book upon the fundamental questions that plague many a contemporary Christian educationist. Such questions include; why is it important to teach the Christian faith? Where is it to be taught? Who to teach? How to educate and evaluate? What are the challenges facing Christian educationists? Karen B. Tye organizes her book in chapters that mirror these questions.

The first sections of her book delve into the meaning of Christian education and the congregational life from a Christian education perspective. She asks ‘where do we educate? Who do we educate?’ (Tye, 2000). The answers to this pair of questions are vital in designing and implementing Christian education programs. From the nonprofessional’s point of view, Christian education mainly happens in Sunday services, and during bible study sessions. However, these are only two of what should be a comprehensive Christian education program. According to Tye (2000, p. 30), the context in an educational setting is everything. She further explains that context alludes to situations, settings, and circumstances. However, it is vital to point out that context transcends the physical space to encompass aspects such as interactions, sentiments, attitudes, cultural qualities among others (Tye, p. 30).

A deeper inspection of the commission in Deuteronomy 6: 1-6 brings to the fore God’s design of context as far as faith instruction is concerned. The writer concisely challenges our faith ancestors to diligently teach their children in their homes and even when engaging with the wider world (Tye, p. 36). Taking this scripture literally, our ancestors of faith were challenged to keep instructing their children in the ways of the faith in everything that they did. Christian education today has taken the context element for granted. Many a time education has been restricted to a formal or scheduled time or place. Read More