In fact, I found myself fitting almost every description of his "loving resistance fighter" on page 184. And his description of the current state of education on page 186 is precisely the reason I'm in Christian education. Without the central Biblical focus education is a "hodgepodge of subjects." And while Postman all but belittles learning "for the greater glory of God" technopoly may very well cause parents to sit up and think about the focus of education and desire Christian education. Is it possible that the declining moral center of our society will awaken such a revival in the hearts of many?
My prayer is yes. My prayer is that the Lord will use our culture just as He used the Hellenistic Greek/Roman culture to strengthen the commitment of His faithful and cause an explosion in the Church. As Postman calls for an educational focus that blends science, art, past, and present; we must stand up and boldly declare that we have this! The "ascent of humanity" has already happened- but only through the death of one human/Christ. Postman describes Christian education without Christ. We must make known that this is impossible. The ascent of humanity IS Christ. Christian education meets all the aims of Postman's dream for education... but only through Christ.
Are Christian schools doing enough to "offer" these types of answers to the general culture?
How well known are Christian schools in your area of the country?
Julie, I am so glad that you are a Christian educator. You will be one of those teachers that your students never forget because I am sure that you make them think every day, and you don't accept the easy answers.
ReplyDeleteAnd to answer your question, I don't think Christian schools are doing enough to "offer" the right answers to the general culture. I often think we don't even do enough to offer the right answers to the students in our classrooms. We need to be radically different in our thinking and in our actions so that we are instrumental in changing the culture for "his glory."
Interesting that you ask about how well known Christian schools are... Here in NW Iowa, Christian schools have a widespread reputation. Mostly for good. Sometimes not. In Sioux Center it's very interesting, because we don't have a Christian high school; students who attend Sioux Center Christian School (PreK-8) usually have a choice between Western Christian High in Hull (9 miles away) and Unity Christian High in Orange City (12 miles away.)
ReplyDeleteBoth of these schools are excellent, Christ-centered schools. Both have flaws as well. But what was always interesting for me when I taught middle school was to hear the arguments my *students* got into about the relative strengths and weaknesses--the reputations, if you will--of these respective schools. It seemed like almost every year some friendships would end in 7th or 8th grade due to which high school the kids were planning to go on to. As if they couldn't get along...
I think that's a real problem. I wish we could find some way to get over this animosity, but--fallen sinners that we are--I'm afraid that's unlikely on this side of glory.
Sometimes I think that Christian schools are working so hard to keep up with the public schools around us and add our "Christian Perspective" along with it. I know I have heard conversations (more in relationship to Christian teaching or discipline issues) about how as a Christian school we need to be a step ahead. That is not always an easy place to get to. Yet, when I see some of the schools reviewed in the Christian Teachers magazine we get, the stories sound like there are schools that are a step ahead! I think this takes a whole school effort and a lot of prayerful discernment--of who we are now, what we want to be in Him, and how we are going to get there!
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