Educating for Eternity (Part 2)

 

Educating for Eternity by George R. Knight provides an excellent overview and foundation for the principles and practice of Adventist education. While this book is focused on schooling, Knight reminds us that Adventist education also includes the home and church (48).

Knight expounds upon the four key factors to the philosophy and practice of Adventist Education: (1) Role of teacher, (2) Curriculum, (3) Methodology, and (4) Social dimension. Last time we looked at the first two; this time we will look at the last two.

3. Methodology
The two key aspects of methodology have to do with thinking about what kind of student you want to cultivate through your methods and what we can learn from the Bible about effective and holistic methods.

Regarding the kind of student, the goal is not mere obedience or repetition, but someone who has self-control and independent thought. We want our students “to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought” (110). We do not want them to be “little more than automatons” with their “mind, will, [and] conscience” controlled by other people. “Those who weaken or destroy individuality assume a responsibility that can result only in evil” (110). Instead, we must help them become individuals with “internal discipline” by “allowing them to make choices and to experience the consequences” (112). As Arthur Combs said, “responsibility is learned from being given responsibility; it is never learned from having it withheld… A curriculum designed to teach responsibility needs to provide continuous opportunities for students to engage in such processes” (112). And as Knight so powerful points out, “We gain nothing if by authoritative methodologies we manage to produce quiet, order, and student conformity while sacrificing intelligent behavior, responsibility, and creativity” (113).

Regarding the Bible and methodology, both the Old Testament and the person of Jesus shed light on effective approaches. God’s engagement with God’s people early on was highlighted by “lifelong learning experiences through holidays, sabbatical years, historic memorials, the arts, home instruction, public reading of the Torah, and a host of other devices” (116). The life and teachings of Jesus emphasizes parables, object lessons, and thought-provoking questions.

The Old Testament approach reminds us that “ instruction should not be forced upon unready minds. Rather, instructional methods used in the Old Testament capitalized upon human beings’ natural interest in a topic in order to engage the peoples minds in a dynamic interchange” (117). The sanctuary was “an educational device that taught through both its appeal to the senses and the curiosity it generated” (117).

Likewise, Jesus taught creatively through the senses and curiosity. Except with Jesus, this method of redemption and education was fully embodied. In him, “all true educational work finds its center” (117). In addition to the relational aspect of teachers described above, Jesus also used parables (which have “the advantages of being concrete, appealing to the imagination, and having intrinsic interest,” especially when relating to everyday life), object lessons (like picking a flower and talking about anxiety in the midst of the grass of the field, etc., or using a coin to discuss allegiance to Caesar or God), and thought-provoking questions (used to engage his hearers in active learning and responses, necessitating considering and communicating ideas as their own) (118-119).

In essence, these methods are ways to connect with simple, everyday language in ideas, things that inspire curiosity and memorability, and cultivate space for these truths and ideas to take root and grow.

4. The Social Function of Adventist Education
The social function of Adventist Education relates to three areas of tension: (1) conservation & revolution, (2) individual and societal, and (3) here/now and eternity.

Adventist education is “conservative  in the sense that it seeks to transmit the unchanging truths of the Bible across time, but it is to be revolutionary as a change agent of a righteous God in a sinful world” (124-125). This change comes at both an individual and societal level, transforming not just a person’s life but how they engage with and advocate for social justice in our world (125). As Knight said, “It is part of God’s ideal not only to feed the poor (Matt. 25:31-46), but also to help make this earth a better place to live through social reform” (125). This approach, however, must go beyond how we can impact our world today and also point towards the ultimate hope in the return of Christ to make all things new (125). In investing in the healing and transformation of specific issues today, we point towards the ultimate healing and transformation of eternity (126).

Thus, it is important for Adventist education to be a place where this kind of learning, consideration, application, and action can take place. “Christian churches (including Seventh-day Adventism) have too often been conservative bastions of society, when they should function as agents for change” (127). “The life of Jesus as portrayed in the Bible can best be seen as modeling change rather than conservatism. He was the Reformer of reformers. And He called out a people to become change agents in His ongoing mission” (128) and this is what we are to do with our students. “In essence, the function of the Adventist school is to educate the youth of the church for service to God and their neighbors,” rather than any self-centered or even status-quo-maintaining way of living in the world (128).